Protocols Facilities Proper handling of women’s cases, particularly those involving violence against women require minimum structures to ensure confidentiality and safeguarding of the privacy of the victims-survivors. In relation to this, the following facilities shall be ensured, as much as practicable in both Central and Regional Offices: 1. Facilities, such as a separate room for closed-door investigation, are provided to protect the privacy of the victim/survivor and confidentiality of proceedings during the investigation and/or interview for the provision of legal aid and/or support services 2. There are adequate filing and storage facilities for all records involving violence against women and other Gender Ombud Cases. With respect to VAW and trafficking cases, the same should be filed separately from other case categories to safeguard their confidentiality (RA 9262). 3. The victim- survivor is assured of humane and gender-sensitive treatment through facilities that protect her privacy and afford her physical comfort. The provision of child-friendly spaces for children of victimsurvivors shall be duly considered; Personnel Officials and staff directly involved in providing investigation and legal aid/support services and/or referral to women victim-survivors must be equal to the task in terms of qualifications, habits and ethics of work, and must have undergone training in gender awareness, particularly issues related to gender-based violence149. Thus, 1. Only CHR investigators, lawyers and other officers and personnel who have appropriate training on women’s rights and in the handling of investigation and interview involving women shall be assigned to conduct 149 DOJ Performance Standards and Assessment for Services 95 interview and investigate cases involving human rights violations and abuses against women, including discrimination, violence, exploitation, and sexual harassment cases. There shall be continuous training on women’s human rights and on the sensitive handling of women’s cases for investigators, lawyers and gender focal persons. 2. In the conduct of investigation and/ or interview for the provision of legal aid and other support services, utmost consideration must be given to the vulnerability of women to abuse, violence, exploitation and discrimination. Special attention shall be accorded in order to provide reasonable accommodation to women from the marginalized sector in order to ensure and facilitate access to justice. 3. There is an absolute need to adopt an attitude of belief and to be sensitive to the needs, culture, plight, and status of the victimsurvivors, taking into account their gender/ sex, ability and their traumatic experience/ condition; 4. The conduct of investigation and/ or interview must ensure that women victims shall not be subjected or exposed to revictimization, further trauma, humiliation or suffering. 5. Ensure, as much as possible, that the interview of women-victims, especially those who are victims of sexual abuse, be conducted by a female lawyer/investigator trained to handle cases involving women; 6. Investigators, lawyers and Gender Focal Persons, in the investigation and/or conduct of interviews shall at all times possess the appropriate attitude, ethics and habits of work, such as they are: • Accepting and non-judgmental • Sensitive and sincere • Patient and understanding CHR Gender Ombud Guidelines