Women or girls who are victims of violence are often unable to report it, either for fear of reprisal or because they are under close surveillance, or because they do not know to whom to turn or what process to follow. It is for this reason that the law must establish the obligation for medical and healthcare personnel to refer the case to the appropriate authorities to investigate these acts and prosecute the perpetrators, as soon as they observe, during the examination of the victims, traces of such violence, whether physical or psychological. Integrating VAWG into health systems can build and strengthen the State’s capacity to provide comprehensive services for victims.
Service providers in health sector must be obliged to care for and refer VAWG cases. All index countries have such regulations.
Some of the countries include these obligations within the laws, like in Algeria and Jordan where the public health law and the law on family protection respectively oblige services providers in health sector to care and refer VAWG cases. In Lebanon, the Service Order No. 164/204 was issued by the Directorate General of the Government to regulate procedures and oblige service providers in health sector to deal with VAWG cases.
