Evaluating Services Provided to Women in Makassar Experiencing Family Violence: Best Practice and Support Delivery

This report provides the first comprehensive mapping of support services available to women experiencing family and domestic violence in Makassar, South Sulawesi. As a growing provincial capital, Makassar offers a microcosm to examine the challenges in better supporting women in violent domestic situations.

Our report has found a range of government and private services which are working hard and are dedicated to helping women but lack the operational capacity to provide the quality and quantity of services needed. This includes legal counsel, safe houses and medical specialists and the resources to give women ongoing and long-term support that would have a greater impact.
By evaluating eleven key services, this report identifies areas of best practice and develops recommendations for improvement. For example, Makassar has 70 community shelters offering important safe havens for women. We provide case studies of two exemplary shelters that can serve as models in elevating the standards of care.

The solution requires a complex, multi-layered approach. Central to this study is understanding and addressing the support needs of women. We strongly recommend that a positive first step is to strengthen peer support networks so that women can share their experiences, reduce their isolation and ensure services understand their needs.