Survivors of violence against women and girls in Chuuk are getting better support through improved database systems and training introduced by Chuuk Women’s Council at its Tongen Inepwineu Counseling Center (TICC).
TICC’s new database assists the crisis centre in better organising the private and confidential information about its clients, who are the women and girl survivors using the crisis centre services. The new database also assists TICC in better analysing the data and understanding Chuuk’s emerging trends and variations of violence occurring within local homes and communities. Building on the legacy of the region’s first fit-for-purpose Gender-Based Violence (GBV) administrative database, partners initiated the addition of the Washington Group Short Set of Questions into their intake forms in 2023.
TICC’s GBV counsellors and caseworkers continue to be trained to use the database to manage casework better and to identify the different types of violence that exist and the need to be better addressed in their communities. It will also ensure that TICC is collating disability data in a non-discriminatory way.
GBV counsellor and caseworker Ms Lestina Berdon said the TICC team struggled to keep their manual filing system organised as client numbers grew, with the online database providing a more efficient way of categorising and managing private client information.
“We’ve learnt that there are different types of violence that exist,” she explained. “This [database] has helped us identify the trends in terms of the kinds of violence we’re seeing within Chuuk, and how we can best help to assist our clients.”
“By realising this, we are now able to offer better support and provide targeted counselling sessions for our clients.”
Lestina added that TICC is now able to better arrange its client data and numbers to match their records with the database and GBV technical and funding support provided by the Pacific Women Lead at SPC programme. In addition to tailored data systems, specific client intake forms have been developed to record the types of information needed to target TICC's services appropriately.
As the organisation matures and expands its services, the database will be increasingly useful to ensure all its counsellor-caseworkers have access to the information that is required to best support women experiencing violence – the client receives the same quality, informed service from each staff member.
TICC Coordinator, Ms Jacinta Lippwe shared that they have dedicated, trained staff constantly updating their client database. She said with this system now in place, they have a clearer understanding of the kinds of clients who continue to use TICC’s counselling and support services.
“I am not a data [expert], but since we are now following this system of filling the in-take form, interviewing and writing a report of the session, then inputting it into the database, I am able to clearly read the data,” she said. “It makes work a lot easier as well because we have case file numbers now, so the staff are able to keep track if it’s a repeat client, identify the type of violence, categorise it and provide the dedicated support needed for the client.”
According to Ms Wilma Eileen, who worked as the PWL at SPC Gender-Based Violence Adviser during the database’s introduction, explained that the system has also enabled the staff at TICC to better file, document, collate, and analyse GBV data and information, and more easily locate client case notes.
“We concentrated mostly on the proper documentation and filing of their client data and information while also providing counselling training for both old and new staff who recently joined TICC,” Ms Wilma explained.
About Pacific Women Lead
One of the largest global commitments to gender equality, Pacific Women Lead aims to promote women’s leadership, realise women’s rights, and increase the effectiveness of regional gender equality efforts.
The Pacific Women Lead (PWL) at the Pacific Community (SPC) programme, termed PWL at SPC, has more than AUD 55 million dedicated to its work under the Australian Government’s AUD 170 million Pacific Women Lead portfolio. This partnership with the Australian Government commits SPC to deliver the PWL programme, as the cornerstone for the portfolio.
