KAFA (enough) Violence & Exploitation, in partnership with the General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces, launched today (Nov 25, 2013) in the ISF headquarters in Beirut the 16 Days of Activism against Violence Against Women (an international campaign that starts on November 25, International Day to End Violence against Women, and ends on December 10, International Day for Human Rights), under the title: “We have a mission. If you’re threatened, do not hesitate to call 112”.

The campaign aims at rebuilding trust between women victims of violence and the ISF, and informing the public on the ISF’s ongoing preparations to provide women with the protection they need.
The campaign is part of a wider project implemented by KAFA and the ISF, called “The Role of the Internal Security Forces in Combatting Family Violence”. The project is supported by the United Nations Population Fund and the Italian Cooperation Office- the Italian Embassy in Lebanon, as well as the Norwegian Embassy in Lebanon and the Swedish organization, Kvinna Till Kvinna.

So far, the main achievements of the project are:
- The production of a teaching curriculum on family violence and a manual on communication skills, adopted by the police academy in Warwar,
- The production of a training of trainers manual on the above-mentioned curriculums,
- The issuing of a service note by the General Directorate of the ISF, on May 20, 2013, of the protocol on dealing with family violence cases and communicating with victims,
- The issuing of a memorandum by the higher general prosecution referring family violence cases to judicial detachments,
- The equipment of the judicial detachments with decent rooms with new equipment for medical examination to receive women,
- The training of 175 ISF members of the judicial detachments and operation rooms, with many more trainings to come.

Personalities from the judicial, security, civil and media sectors attended the launching ceremony today.
A short film documenting the main stages and components of the project inaugurated the ceremony, followed by speeches by: KAFA director, Ms. Zoya Rouhana, UNFPA representative in Lebanon, Mr. Robert Watkins, the Italian Ambassador to Lebanon, Mr. Guisepe Morabito, higher general prosecutor represented by Judge Charbel Abou Samra, and acting General Director of the ISF, General Ibrahim Basbous. 
The ceremony was concluded by the honoring of: acting General Director of the ISF General Ibrahim Basbous, General Pierre Nassar, General Fouad Othman, Lieutenant Colonel Elie Al Asmar, Lieutenant Colonel Ziad Kaedbey, and general prosecutor in Nabatieh Judge Ghada Bou Karroum, for their valuable contribution to the project. Training certificates were also awarded to police officers who are currently training other ISF officers on the issue of family violence.