FAMILY Support Centre held a “Volunteer Committee Reflection Forum on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls” workshop yesterday.

Speaking to the paper, Community Educator and Trainer of FSC (Family Support Centre) Mr Hendric Barai said that the aim of the workshop is to bring the Family Support Centre volunteer committees together to come and share the impacts of the FSC from the provinces.

Mr Barai added that it is also to assess the need of victims in the provinces regarding sexual and gender based violence.

He also spoke of how the FSC volunteer committee operates in Gizo.

Mr Barai said that the FSC volunteer committee in Gizo addressed a total of 26 cases of domestic violence which has been occurring in the past five months.

In addition, the FSC educator and trainer said that the committee also supplied first aid counselling and referral processes for the victims.

He mentioned that in the referral process, victims will be assisted by the FSC volunteer committee regarding the procedure of reporting cases to the police or court.

Mr Barai said the same process is also applied by volunteer committees in other provinces.

Participants at the workshop are 15 committee volunteers from provinces namely; Auki, Kira Kira, Noro, Tulagi, Gizo and Suaghi.

Organisers of the workshop include F.S.C, with the support of IWDA (International Women Development Agency) program coordinator Ms Genevieve Walker and the Solomon Islands government under the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs.

The Family Support Centre will have a three year funding from IWDA commencing on June this year to support FSC to help victims.

The Family Support Centre workshop is a first of it’s kind and will proceed on until April 7.