Clinical Management for Sexual Violence and Rape Survivors (CMR) Training - Ankara, Turkey, 16 – 20 October 2017

16 October 2017, Ankara - United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Turkey office is kicked off a training series titled as “Clinical Management for Sexual Violence and Rape Survivors (CMR)”. The training was done in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Ankara Maternity Training and Research Hospital with the fund provided by the European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO).  

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Humanitarian Aid Program, Sexual and Reproductive Health Expert, Dr. Behire Özek said that with the Ministry of Health Women Reproductive Health Department’s lead, this training attracted participants from 7 various provinces in Turkey. Dr. Özek added that, "this first training session is just the beginning; in the coming year, we will work hard to launch centres assisting sexual violence and rape victims clinically and plan to expand its services as widely as possible around Turkey". In her opening remarks, Dr. Behire Özek highlighted that, the health services that are provided to sexual violence and rape victims should be accessible to all. Dr. Özek stressed that, thanks to these training sessions like the one done today (16 October 2019) and the future ones, the main framework of these centres’ legal, health, social and psychological services will be shaped. To accomplish that, Dr. Özek said, advocacy strategies will also be developed to update the current legislation or reinforce them.

European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) Technical Assistant Reza Kasrai said in his opening remarks that “The EU is supporting UNFPA and its many implementing partners, to provide complementary services in sexual and reproductive health and in response to gender-based violence in 30 Migrant Health Centres across the country. Some of you are working in the Women’s and Girls Safe Spaces and are on the front lines of this response, and understand that these services aim to protect refugee women and girls and provide them a safe environment where they can begin to build a new future. No one should be subjected to sexual violence, much least those who are already fleeing the violence of war, especially in a welcoming and generous country such as Turkey. This is why it is important for survivors of sexual violence to know how and where to access appropriate and quality services, whether in Ankara, Bursa or Hatay, provided by professionals such as yourselves.”

United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) Representative to Turkey Karl Kulessa said in his opening speech that “The overall objective of this Clinical Management for Sexual Violence and Rape Survivors (CMR) training is to provide health managers in Turkey the knowledge and skills required to conceive a standard approach for providing medical care for the survivors of sexual violence and rape. Sexual violence and clinical management of rape is obviously a sensitive issue. Although Turkey has been providing services on this matter for years, with changing circumstances in Turkey and progress in medical and technical approaches, there is a growing need for a revision and update in the area especially after the Syrian crisis. So, today, thanks to your participation, we are aiming to extend already existed health services to the survivors of sexual violence and rape victims to the refugee population in Turkey. I thank European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) for financially supporting our work and also sincerely thank Ministry of Health for their invaluable partnership.”  

Dr. Sema Sanisoğlu, from Ministry of Health, Women Reproductive Health Department said in her opening remarks that “We want to extend all the available health services provided in Turkey to the Syrian refugees. Our aim is to bring reproductive health services to the Syrian refuges. The most important expected outcome of this training is to establish centres within the hospitals for sexual violence and rape survivors.”   

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was established in 1969 and as the biggest aid source with international funding in the area of population operating around the world. UNFPA operates in more than 150 countries for creating policies and strategies that support sustainable development. Having started its activities on a project basis, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has been working on reproductive health, encouraging social gender equality, collecting, using and distributing data about development and humanitarian aid in Turkey since 1971. Within this framework, the first Country Program lasted from 1988 to 1992 and now the Sixth Country Program (2016-2020) is being executed.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) works to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. To this end, UNFPA focuses especially 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 5: Gender Equality and finally, SDG 17: Partnerships for Goals

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