GLOBAL RIGHTS FOR WOMEN

PHILIPPINES IN 2024, GRW CONTINUED ITS MULTI-YEAR PROJECT WITH EIGHT WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND SURVIVOR SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS TO IDENTIFY CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS TO WOMEN'S SAFETY FROM DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE. THESE TEAMS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE SYSTEMIC ADVOCACY LEARNING LAB (SALL), WHERE WE MEET MONTHLY TO LEARN SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES FOR ENGAGING IN EFFECTIVE SYSTEMS CHANGE WORK. THESE MEETINGS ARE ONLINE AND IN PERSON. IN JUNE 2024, WE HELD A SUCCESSFUL IN-PERSON CONVENING FOR THE SECOND TIME IN METRO MANILA, WITH 22 COHORT MEMBERS FROM 7 LOCAL WOMEN'S RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS AND FOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS PARTICIPATING. THE COHORT ORGANIZATIONS CONTINUED TO UTILIZE THE SKILLS GAINED IN SALL IN THEIR OWN PROJECT IMPLEMENTATIONS, AS WELL AS DAILY PRACTICES WITHIN THEIR OWN ORGANIZATIONS. IN LATE 2024, GRW WORKED WITH COHORT PARTNERS TO FINALIZE THEIR PROJECTS AND PREPARE FOR THE FEBRUARY 2025 IN PERSON MEETINGS. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR CAWS-ND IN SEPTEMBER 2024, GRW COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED THE FINAL REPORT FOR PHASE TWO OF THE NORTH DAKOTA STATEWIDE NEEDS ASSESSMENT. THIS PROJECT WAS CONDUCTED BY GLOBAL RIGHTS FOR WOMEN (GRW) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NORTH DAKOTA DOMESTIC & SEXUAL VIOLENCE COALITION (NDDSVC), PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS THE COUNCIL ON ABUSED WOMEN'S SERVICES OF NORTH DAKOTA (CAWS ND). THE REPORT WAS LATER PUBLISHED BY NDDSVC, MARKING A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN OUR ONGOING EFFORTS TO ENHANCE THE STATE'S RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. THE PHASE TWO REPORT FOCUSES ON THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF NATIVE/INDIGENOUS SURVIVORS IN NORTH DAKOTA. BUILDING ON THE FINDINGS FROM PHASE ONE, DOCUMENTED IN THE REPORT "MANY VOICES ND: A NEEDS ASSESSMENT ON NORTH DAKOTA'S RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE," THIS PHASE DELVES DEEPER INTO THE SPECIFIC BARRIERS NATIVE SURVIVORS FACE WHEN SEEKING HELP AND SERVICES. THESE BARRIERS INCLUDE SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION, THE NEED FOR CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE SERVICES, AND THE LOSS OF CHILDREN TO THE CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM. THE ANNUAL UPDATE IDENTIFIES NATIVE AMERICAN WOMEN AS A PRIORITY UNDERSERVED AND HIGHLY VICTIMIZED COMMUNITY IN NORTH DAKOTA. IN-DEPTH INFORMATION GATHERED FROM NATIVE SURVIVORS AND PROGRAM ADVOCATES HIGHLIGHTS THE ABOVE THREE CRITICAL AREAS THAT NEED ATTENTION. THE REPORT ALSO OFFERS ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NDDSVC AND ITS MEMBER PROGRAMS TO BETTER ADDRESS THE UNIQUE NEEDS AND CHALLENGES OF NATIVE AMERICAN SURVIVORS, INCLUDING STRENGTHENING CULTURALLY RELEVANT AND TRAUMA-INFORMED SERVICES, BUILDING FURTHER ACTIVE AND ONGOING COLLABORATION ACROSS ALL TRIBAL AND NON-TRIBAL PROGRAMS, AND INCORPORATING STRATEGIES FOR ENHANCED INCLUSION OF NATIVE SURVIVOR INPUT IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES IMPACTING THEIR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF THEIR CHILDREN. ARMENIA ASSESSING THE POLICE RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND DEVELOPING A CCR GRW CONTINUED ITS WORK TO ASSESS THE POLICE RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR DEVELOPING A CCR. IN OCTOBER 2024, GRW TRAVELED TO ARMENIA FOR THREE WEEKS. THIS VISIT, HOSTED BY OUR LONG TERM NGO PARTNER, THE WOMEN'S SUPPORT CENTER (WSC) WAS PART OF OUR ONGOING EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE POLICE RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN ARMENIA. DURING THIS VISIT, GRW CONDUCTED SEVEN LISTENING SESSIONS FOR SURVIVORS ( A TOTAL OF 35 WOMEN INTERVIEWED), FOUR LISTENING SESSIONS WITH LOCAL ADVOCATES, AND EIGHT LISTENING SESSIONS WITH PRACTITIONERS. OVER THE SPRING AND SUMMER 2024, GRW WORKED WITH EXPERTS KRIS ARNESON, RETIRED DEPUTY CHIEF OF POLICE IN MINNEAPOLIS, AND DENISE GAMACHE, FORMER FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF THE BATTERED WOMEN'S JUSTICE PROJECT (BWJP), TO REVIEW ARMENIAN POLICE POLICIES, REPORT FORMS, LAWS, AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT DICTATE OR REFLECT POLICE RESPONSE. IN SEPTEMBER, GRW PREPARED A COMPREHENSIVE DESK RESEARCH REPORT ON POLICE RESPONSES USING SECONDARY DATA PROVIDED BY THE WOMEN'S SUPPORT CENTER. UPON RETURNING FROM ARMENIA, GRW ANALYZED THE INFORMATION AND DATA COLLECTED DURING THE LISTENING SESSIONS. WE COMPLETED THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE FINAL REPORT AND SUBMITTED IT TO THE WOMEN'S SUPPORT CENTER FOR FEEDBACK. THIS REPORT OUTLINES THE KEY FINDINGS AND PROVIDES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING THE POLICE RESPONSE AND DEVELOPING A COORDINATED COMMUNITY RESPONSE MODEL IN ARMENIA.