A/HRC/26/17 E/CN.6/2014/8 shared their experiences. 14 Women’s hearings are a non-judicial space for truth-telling and memorializing in which survivors testify publicly and collectively advocate for justice. They provide survivors with symbolic redress and establish a historical record that aids investigations and potential prosecutions. The third women’s hearing took place in September 2013. It centred on the Cambodian experience and on raising awareness among the post-Khmer Rouge generation. 15 The hearing was attended by more than 400 students who listened to the testimony of four women survivors. A panel of university students recommended the inclusion of forced marriage as a gender-based crime in the indictment in cases under investigation by the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. 16 33. State-building processes are an opportunity to integrate gender equality measures into Government structures. In South Sudan, the American Refugee Committee, in partnership with civil society organizations, international non-governmental organizations, United Nations agencies, community-based actors and Government ministries, is coordinating four state-level working groups on gender-based violence to promote the professionalization and availability of health-care and legal services. This Trust Fund grantee is also testing and operationalizing standard operating procedures for responding to gender-based violence. 17 34. The Committee is establishing referral pathways for access to services, training medical officials to deal appropriately with medical intake forms and training midwives to provide psychosocial support to survivors. More than 42,000 people have benefited from programme activities and 287 survivors of gender-based violence have received comprehensive services. In two of the four states where the programme has been rolled out, an average of 80 per cent of cases of gender-based violence referred to medical and legal services are supported by community volunteers trained by the Committee, demonstrating community buy-in and the potential for sustainability. 35. Establishing a network of comprehensive services is also the goal of a programme implemented by the International Medical Corps in Iraq. The organization is working with social workers, lawyers and medical staff from the Ministry of Health. It helped broker a gender-based violence referral pathway system that provides survivors of gender-based violence with integrated services, including counselling, psychosocial support, legal assistance and medical care, at primary health-care centres. Social workers trained by the organization supported more than 5,000 women and girls. A survey among public officials trained by the organization indicates that, as a result of the programme, the number of cases referred by social workers to lawyers increased by 54 per cent and that the number of cases referred by social workers to primary health-care centres increased by 62 per cent. 18 The response of survivors to the programme is also favourable. A __________________ 14 15 16 17 18 13-61736 In partnership with the Cambodian Defenders Project, the Victim Support Section premiered the short film “Women’s Hearings 2012” which documents the proceedings (available on YouTube). Available from http://gbvkr.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Womens-Hearing-2013-PressRelease_26-Sept-2013.pdf. For the latest developments on Case 002, Case 003 and Case 004 see www.eccc.gov.kh/en. Standard operating procedures are policy documents that establish official procedures and establish clear roles and responsibilities for officials who respond to gender-based violence. In addition, a media campaign on early marriage, domestic violence and related public services reached 100,000 people in five districts. The television campaign can be accessed on YouTube. 9/16

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