Providing a “one-stop centre” for sexual and gender-based violence survivors in South Sudan

Survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) often need assistance from different service providers. In South Sudan, Family Protection Centres are enabling survivors to access a range of services under one roof—thanks in part to funding provided by Canada through UNFPA.

The first one-stop centre for SGBV survivors opened at the Juba Teaching Hospital in 2017. Eight more centres have opened their doors since then. Each year, more than 1,800 survivors access services from the 9 centres across the country. The centres have played a significant role in the conviction of 106 perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence, a major achievement in a country where formal legal services are still not widely used.

“Providing support for SGBV survivors has a lot of challenges but is something that should be a priority and should be sustained under any circumstances. Interventions should be extended beyond the centres where services are being provided. This is why services of the Family Protection Centre extend beyond its walls,” says Fatuma, a response officer at the Juba Teaching Hospital’s Family Protection Centre.

In a country ravaged by conflict, there is a risk that SGBV could be normalized and victims silenced. But these one-stop centres are providing a safe space for women to seek professional assistance—and begin healing and reintegrating into their community.