In the frame of the Ukrainian-Japanese project the Charitable Foundation “Women’s Health and Family Planning” conducted the first trainings for medical professionals from Poltava region on providing comprehensive assistance to people who suffered from gender-based violence.

During 5-day training more than 60 specialists (obstetrician-gynecologists, anesthesiologists, midwives, nurses and primary healthcare specialists) from the project pilot facilities have been improving their knowledge in providing psycho-social assistance, legal support and medical assistance to persons affected by gender-related violence. The theoretical part was supplemented with various practical tasks, discussions and debates, examples from the practice of both trainers and participants.

According to the participants’ feedback, the training was interesting and useful for them as specialists who work in the field of reproductive health and periodically in their practice face the women who have suffered from violence. The problem of sexual and gender-based violence has become especially acute during the war in Ukraine, because quite a lot of women moved to Poltava region from the occupied territories and territories where hostilities are taking place.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to go deeper into the topic of gender-based violence and look at it not only from the point of view of medical aspects, but also psychological and legal assistance. Due to the training, we will feel more confident in cases when women who have experienced violence turn to us,” said one of the participants of the training.

The trainings were organized and conducted within the framework of the project “Mitigation of the Consequences of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Facilitation of the Access to Essential Services and CSE for Conflict-Affected People in Ukraine”, which is being implemented by the Charity Foundation “Woman Health and Family Planning” with support of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and the Government of Japan. The project is under implementation in Poltava and Odesa regions during 2023.