Sama along with Jan Swasthya Abhiyan-Odisha organized a one and a half day regional workshop in Bhubaneshwar on March 18-19, 2016 with organisations from Odisha and Jharkhand. The Workshop was attended by 44 participants from 14 districts of Odisha and 3 districts of Jharkhand from about 27 organizations (Jharkhand-5, Odisha-22). It included Community Based Organizations (CBOs), networks, women’s groups, JSA members and individuals working on the issue of health, education, agriculture, gender, women empowerment, child labour, gender equality, domestic violence, trafficking, sexual harassment, justice, freedom and equity, child rights & protection etc. The workshop was able to provide a platform for the coming together of organizations engaging with and addressing the issue of GBV at multiple levels to build synergies towards strengthening accountability of the health system and the state.
The workshop facilitated inputs on protocols/guidelines, processes for health care response to GBV, particularly sexual and domestic violence. Participants developed and shared ideas regarding future plans at the level of their organizations and also collectively at a regional level.