Her Majesty Queen Mother Sangay Choden Wangchuck inaugurated a new community service centre in Haa District yesterday. It will strengthen support for survivors of gender-based violence and vulnerable individuals. The facility, established by RENEW with support from UNICEF, will serve as a safe space offering counselling and protection services in the district.
With the inauguration of the new centre in Haa, the country now has 15 community service centres across Bhutan.
Officials from RENEW said the centres aim to ensure that survivors receive timely and confidential assistance.
Tshering Dolkar, RENEW Executive Director said,“The RENEW community service centre functions as dedicated women and girls’ safe spaces at the district level. They provide confidential case intake, psychosocial counselling, safety planning and referrals for medical, legal and protection services.”
She said that sustained support from UNICEF has helped strengthen services nationwide.
The UNICEF Country Representative to Bhutan highlighted the importance of such facilities in expanding access to protection services.
Rushnan Murtaza, UNICEF Country Representative to Bhutan said, “This space is yours. It is built on your resilience, your courage and your aspirations. We are confident that the centres like this will be the place where you can access psychosocial support, life skills training, legal aid, referral services, as well as the hope to heal and rebuild your lives.”
RENEW reported that community service centres across the country have provided direct case management services to more than 2,000 individuals, while awareness and sensitisation programmes have reached over 100,000 people.
With the addition of the Haa centre, efforts are underway to ensure every district has a safe space for survivors, with two more centres in Trongsa and Wangdue Phodrang expected this year.
Karma Samten Wangda, Haa
