BENIN: WJEI LEADS BENINESE DELEGATION ON STUDY TOUR OF

UNCLAS COTONOU 000328 PRETORIA FOR JTHOMPSON PARIS FOR ARS (DWINTON) DEPARTMENT FOR AF/PD (TITUS, LISENBY),AF/W (JKNIGHT, ACOOK),INL (LSMALLS),DOJ/OPDAT (JSILVERWOOD) SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL SOCI KWMN BN SUBJECT: BENIN: WJEI LEADS BENINESE DELEGATION ON STUDY TOUR OF SOUTH AFRICA'S ANTI-GBV FACILITIES. ¶1. DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY: As part of the Women's Justice and Empowerment Initiative (WJEI),DOJ/OPDAT organized a study tour of South Africa for a Beninese delegation comprised of magistrates, representatives of the Justice, Health, and Family Ministries, and NGO representatives. The study tour was paid for by DOJ/OPDAT and USAID Benin WJEI funds, with contributions from USAID Southern Africa and the South African government. ¶2. DATE OF ACTIVITY: July 6 - 10, 2009. ¶3. PROGRAM JUSTIFICATION/OBJECTIVES: The WJEI in Benin has been encouraging the Beninese government to become more proactive in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV). Specifically, the WJEI Benin team has lobbied the Beninese government to adopt an integrated approach to fighting GBV in which the different government ministries charged with law enforcement, justice, health care, and social services collaborate on a common strategy and then pool their resources for the implementation of said strategy. A common and successful example of such an integrated approach is the "one-stop shop" model where victims of GBV can file a police report, meet with a prosecutor, receive medical treatment, and obtain social services all under one roof. South Africa, with its Thuthuzela Care Centers (TCCs),is one country that has successfully pursued such an integrated approach to combating GBV. The goal of this study tour was to educate the Beninese delegation about this model as a way of encouraging them to adopt it. ¶4. AUDIENCE REACHED: The delegation was composed of high-level representatives from the Ministries of Family, Justice, and Health, the presidents of two of Benin's eight Judicial Jurisdictions of First Instance, and two representatives from the NGO CARE International, which is USAID Benin's implementing partner for the WJEI. ¶5. RESULT/IMPACT: Excellent. The study tour gave the Beninese delegation the opportunity to learn first-hand about South Africa's integrated approach to combating GBV. Representatives from South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority (NPA),the NPA's Sexual Offences and Community Affairs (SOCA) Unit, the South African Police Service (SAPS),the Department of Corrections, and the Ministries of Justice, Social Development, Health, Education, and Finance all presented to the Beninese delegation on their contributions to South Africa's anti-GBV model. The delegation also visited three Thuthuzela Care Centers, a battered women's shelter, a sexual offenses court, and the South African Constitutional Court. At each site, the members of the Beninese delegation were able to exchange with the professionals who worked there. By the end of the study tour, the Beninese delegation was convinced of the efficacy of the South African integrated model and was convinced that it could be replicated in Benin. ¶6. NON-USG SOURCES OF IN-COUNTRY FUNDING/IN KIND SUPPORT: SOCA helped organize the site visits and provided the transportation for them, as well as hosted the delegation at their headquarters. The above-mentioned South African agencies and ministries also gave presentations to the delegation and provided copies of training manuals used to train forensic nurses and police officers in sexual crimes investigations ¶7. QUALITY OF USG SUPPORT: Excellent. USAID Southern Africa, and Jill Thompson in particular, were essential to the organization of this study tour. Ms. Thompson, along with her WJEI South Africa implementing partner RTI, planned a first rate series of presentations and site visits. United States Embassy Pretoria also extended a warm welcome to the Beninese delegation. BOUSTANI