One-Stop Service Center for Victims of Violence Opens in Kyrgyzstan

The first-ever One-Stop Service Center for Victims of Violence opened in Kyrgyzstan on May 28. Created through collaboration between the U.S. and Kyrgyz governments and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the new center will provide critical support for survivors by integrating medical care, counselling, legal aid, and police investigation services under one roof, according to the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan. As victims of violence often have difficulties accessing essential services and sometimes face negative societal attitudes, the One-Stop Service Center aims to empower survivors, improve access to justice, and create a safer environment. During the opening ceremony, U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic Lesslie Viguerie said: “A thriving democratic and civil society is like a vibrant tapestry, woven together by the threads of strong relationships and communities. Gender-based violence, however, threatens to unravel this tapestry, weakening the bonds that hold our society together.”