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