Nambikkai Illam

Protecting and Empowering Survivors of SGBV

In 2002 with the support of UNHCR, JSAC established Sri Lanka’s first Safe House: Nambikkai Illam in central Jaffna to provide immediate and short term protection to women and child survivors of SGBV. At this time there was a surge of SGBV cases arising out of the war, an urgent need for protection and no facilities to provide it.

Post-conflict, women across Sri Lanka suffer violence and abuse, and Nambikkai Illam continues to provide support and solutions so as to empower its clients to leave abusive relationships/environments, and regain control of their lives and safety.

Sexual and Gender-based Violence (GBV) is an umbrella term for any harmful act that is perpetrated against a person’s will and that is based on socially ascribed (gender) differences between males and females. It includes domestic violence, rape, child sexual abuse and other types of sexual violence and exploitation, trafficking of women, early and forced marriage. GBV is a serious violation of human rights

The safe house is at the heart of our wider “best practice” 4 multi-sectoral programme for preventing and responding to GBV. Other components include:

 Education and awareness programmes within communities
 Village based drop-in GBV centres
 Shelter and livelihood support
 Co-ordination of the referral agencies to create a support fra-mework
 A GBV desk in hospitals
 A Jaffna District GBV working group
Advocacy activities

Protecting and Empowering Survivors of SGBV

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