Centre for Enquiry Into Health and Allied Themes (CEHAT) in collaboration with International Centre for Research of Women (ICRW) successfully conducted a one- day National Conference on 14th Feb 2023, at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
It presented the efforts made by States in India to create a health system response to VAW. More than 65 delegates from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Meghalaya, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & so on, presented their efforts of engaging health system to respond to VAW. Delegates presented solid evidence in signs and symptoms of violence its impact on health and underscored the need for concerted efforts to embed a systematic response to VAW in the health system.
A draft of a protocol for the health sector was also presented at the conference. More than 15 expert organisations were a part of the advisory group. The Focus of that protocol was to enable primary secondary and tertiary health settings to respond to VAW.
These contributions from the health sector and CSOS are an important learning resource for states who have still not initiated such a response.