Guineans and international observers alike were shocked by the political violence, including brutal rapes, perpetrated on September 28, 2009, following a political demonstration in a stadium in Conakry. The response at the time of the incident was limited and underscored the urgent need for more and better-quality services throughout the country for survivors of sexual violence (SV) and other forms of gender-based violence (GBV).
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Guinea mission tasked The RESPOND Project with supporting follow-up services to women who had survived the September 28 violence, strengthening local capacity for GBV prevention, and improving the health sector’s response to SV. RESPOND received $823,000 in field support funding to cover one year of implementation. With a no-cost extension, activities spanned the 18 months from January 2011 to June 2012. The work was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Promotion of Women and Children and the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, as well as two local nongovernmental partners: the Coalition Nationale de Guinée pour les Droits et la Citoyenneté des Femmes (CONAG-DCF) and the Association Guinéene des Assistantes Sociales (AGUIAS). RESPOND’s efforts built upon the work of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other partners in Guinea.