Mapping Services in the Community

Préparation

• This activity can be conducted with groups of women and groups of men; however, it should be led in single-sex groups except when facilitators feel otherwise. The facilitators should also be of the same sex as the participants in the group (i.e. women facilitators should facilitate activities among groups of women), especially for any sensitive discussions. This activity may be conducted with adolescents and youth, but considerations should be given toward conducting activities with individuals grouped by similar ages. It should be emphasized throughout the curriculum that violence should never be tolerated or accepted. 
• This activity can only be done if the facilitator already has information about violence against women and other support services to share with participants. Support services include women’s groups, religious leaders, health facilities, police, safe houses, NGOs. 
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, government restrictions have led to many changes in available community services. Facilitators should make sure that the service information they provide is up-to-date and accessible during COVID-related restrictions.
• To encourage honest discussion and learning in a safe environment, this activity should be delivered in single-sex groups; i.e., only to men or only to women.
• This activity involves drawing a map. If your participants live in the city or a community that is too big to draw, have a city map available for them to draw on. If there is no map available of the community, or if the community is small, the participants will draw a map of the community in this activity.

Introduction

• Tell participants, “In this activity, we will discuss the services available in the community for women and girls who encounter violence.”
• Ask participants, “Based on what we discussed so far about violence against women and girls, what kind of help, support and services would women and girls who experience violence benefit from?” Encourage participants to share ideas for two to three minutes before providing the answers: medical care, shelter, counselling, police, legal services, alcohol treatment centres.

Implementation: Mapping Services in the Community

• Divide participants into groups of at least four people. (If there are only four people, have them work together as one group.) Ask participants to sit in a circle.
• If a map is available, give one map to each group. Lay the map out on a table or floor. If a map is not available, give each group a piece of flipchart paper and pens or pencils for drawing. Ask participants to draw a map of the community. It should include major roads or paths and significant buildings, such as schools, markets, health facilities, and religious buildings.
• When the map is available for each group, give the groups 20 minutes to: 

• Discuss the types of essential services or support that have been identified, and agree on which services or support are available in the community or nearby.
• Discuss how persons can access those services (is it easy or hard, does it cost money, are they open for limited hours, waiting time, etc.). 
• Find and mark on the map services for women and girls who encounter violence

Discussion: Resource Mapping

When groups have completed the activity, ask each group to present their map to the larger group, highlighting what services are available and what services could potentially be introduced or provided to survivors of violence by existing organizations. After each group has presented their map, lead a discussion with everyone around the following questions: 

• • • What are the main similarities you saw between the maps?
    • Are essential support and response services for VAWG available in the community? 
    • What barriers might women face in trying to access these support services? How could these barriers be reduced or overcome? 
    • What essential services are not available in our communities or not easily introduced in our communities? 

• If there are any additional services that they haven’t marked on the map or discussed, provide this information to the group.

Closing

• Close the session by emphasizing: “While not all services may be available within the community, it is critical to know what sources of help exist and be able to inform other members of our community about these services. Both men and women need to be aware of services that are available to them.” 
• Encourage participants to visit these services in their free time. By visiting the services in person, they will better understand what services are offered and be better informed to refer family, friends and community members to these services.

Thank the participants for their participation.