Baku. 8 December. REPORT.AZ/ The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Jaidev Singh visited a women and children’s shelter run by the “Tamas” Regional Development Public Union in Ganja that provides support to survivors of gender-based violence and trafficking in persons and their families, Report informs citing the US Embassy press-service.
Dr. Singh delivered donations of clothes and toys collected by the U.S. Embassy community for families at the shelter. The visit marks the global campaign, 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which began November 25 (International End Violence against Women Day) and lasts through December 10 (International Human Rights Day).
The shelter in Ganja is part of a project funded by USAID and implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to support Azerbaijan’s efforts to counter the negative effects of human trafficking, one of the gravest forms of gender-based violence, with an estimated 25 million victims globally.
More than one in three women have experienced violence — that's 700 million women worldwide. Gender-based violence threatens lives and undermines the well-being of families, communities and nations – with drastic consequences for children. It also affects economic stability. Gender-based violence has been estimated to cost the world more than 5% of global GDP — having a greater aggregate economic impact than war.
Since 2015, USAID has provided funding to IOM to support three shelters run by civil society organizations in Baku and Ganja to help vulnerable women and children, including survivors of domestic violence, labor exploitation, and trafficking in persons and their families. In addition to living accommodations, the shelters provide women and children with psychological, medical and legal support to help them rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society.