Provide accommodation and care for girls and women victims of domestic violence in Huaycan, slum zone of East-Lima.

Why we care: 88.6 % of girls and women in East-Lima suffer from domestic violence; those in Huaycan are particularly vulnerable, as they are far from basic services.

How we’re solving this: Developing a Social Risk Prevention Center, a reference point in the community and an effective service to protect girls and women, victims of domestic violence.

Samusocial Peru focuses on providing services to the most excluded women of marginalized urban areas. A large part of Lima’s marginalized areas population are migrants or displaced populations from other regions. Most arrive in marginalized areas of Lima, such as Huaycan, with no identification or birth certificate, which prevents them from accessing the social insurance system. More than 70% of the women beneficiaries of Samusocial Peru face this prospect.

As a result of the trust that has been established with Huaycan community, Samusocial Peru observed a high level of violence towards women as a consequence of the political violence of the 1990s, of the social exclusion phenomenon and of the persistence of a sexist representation of women’s role in society and at home. However, many victims do not file a complaint because they do not know their rights, they do not know where to ask for support, they assume that they are guilty or that they will not be believed–or simply because they fear more aggression.

Samusocial Peru’s Social Risk Prevention Center acts as a safe space in Huaycan´s community through its free medical psychosocial consultations and temporary accommodation for women victims of domestic violence and their children. It has a capacity of 12 beds. Counseling sessions help start a process of recovery and empowerment.

Samusocial Peru is negotiating with the municipality of Ate to transfer responsibility of the center in 2014. We need your help to ensure continuity of its services until the take-over by the municipality of Ate, as well as to transfer our know-how to the municipality.

Samusocial International is supported by the Kering Foundation, which combats violence against women and promotes their empowerment. Launched in January 2009, the Foundation supports community-based projects and encourages employee involvement to sustain women’s causes around the world. Through four programmes, it supports local and international NGOs as well as social entrepreneurs, helps raise awareness and establishes joint projects with the Kering brands. In 2012, more than 80,000 women benefited from its support in 16 countries. *In line with PPR’s change of name, the PPR Corporate Foundation for Women’s Dignity and Rights will become the Kering Corporate Foundation, subject to approval at the Foundation’s board meeting on 26 June 2013. www.keringfoundation.org @KeringForWomen