Last week, 84 citizens gathered in Fort-Bourgeois (Cap-Haitien) to participate in the first mobile court dedicated to Gender-Based Violence (GBV). This initiative aims to make justice more accessible to remote communities.

Organized by UN Women, in collaboration with the Support Program for Justice and the Fight Against Impunity (PAJLI) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP - Haiti), with financial support from Norway.

This activity was conducted jointly with the Judge of the Magistrate's Court of the South district of Cap-Haïtien, the Haitian National Police (PNH), the Legal Assistance Bureau, the Association Femme Soleil d’Haïti, the Ministry for the Status of Women, and several institutional partners.

The speakers presented the principles related to GBV, the mechanisms for filing complaints and reporting, as well as psychological and legal support services, while also sharing useful contacts within the community. These discussions allowed participants to express several concerns, including abandonment of the family home, child support, paternity disputes, physical violence, harassment, and rape.

Following these discussions, six participants filed complaints on the spot, specifically regarding :

- Physical violence;

- Child support;

- Abandonment of the family home;

- Harassment;

- Sexual assault.

The next mobile court will be held in Bois de Lance (Limonade) to continue efforts to bring judicial services closer to isolated communities.

IH/ iciHaiti