ESCWA Centre for Women organized an Expert Group Meeting titled “Shelters for Survivors of Violence: Availability and Accessibility” that was held on 18-19 February 2019 at the United Nations House in Beirut, Lebanon.
 
The meeting brought together a group of experts on the protection of women victims of violence from the region and beyond who examined the draft study titled “Shelters for Survivors of Violence: Availability and Accessibility” and engaged in a discussion on the content and analysis of the draft study and suggested ways to enhance the study and its recommendations.  

The study is based on an extensive research and data collection endeavor led by ESCWA’s Centre for Women, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Arab States Office, ABAAD Resource Centre for Gender Equality, and Women Against Violence Europe (WAVE).  It examines shelter services in Arab countries while considering normative frameworks and standards provided by international human rights instruments. It provides indicative information on shelters in the Arab region and explores areas of availability, accessibility and cost of such services. In addition, the study analyses laws and regulations governing the presence of those shelters, and pre-existing legal frameworks such as personal status laws, penal codes and laws on violence against women that restrict or facilitate survivors of violence’s access to such services. Finally, the publication provides best practices and recommendations to help member states enhance the effectiveness of shelter services and increase survivors’ access to protection.