Chapter 1. Internal Analysis

1.1 The Organization:

The Women's Aid Organization (WAO) is an independent, non-profit, non-religious, non-governmental organization based in Malaysia, committed to confronting violence against women.

WAO was established in 1982 when it opened Malaysia's first Women's Refuge, providing shelter, counseling and child support to battered women.

In 1985, the Anak Angkat (Child Sponsorship) Program was launched to meet the educational needs of ex-residents' children.

WAO opened a Child Care Center in 1990, the first of its kind in Malaysia, to provide a home for ex-residents' children.

WAO is also involved in public education to create awareness of  Violence Against Women and women's rights, and does advocacy on legal reform, in particular, policies and laws that discriminate against women.

1.2 Services: Refuge - WAO provides a home to battered women and their children. The refuge is also a centre for WAO's activities relating to family, women and domestic violence issues. Telephone Counseling - Telephone counseling is available to deal with women's problems, crisis situations and to provide basic legal information. Sexual Assault Helpline - A safe and confidential space for survivors of sexual assault to get emotional support, information and advice on their options and where to get further help. Face-To-Face Counseling - Qualified social workers offer counseling sessions to women who may not necessarily seek shelter but want counseling. Appointments with social workers required. Anak Angkat Programme - The Child Sponsorship Programme for the children of WAO's ex-residents. Monthly donations are made to meet the school expenses of a needy child. Child Care Centre - A Centre for the children of WAO's ex-residents who have decided to live independently. The children are given a home, education at local schools and a support system to meet their physical, mental and emotional needs. 1.3 Mission      To promote and create respect, protection and fulfillment of equal rights for women. To work towards the elimination of discrimination against women, and to bring about equality between women and men. WAO is part of the Malaysian Joint Action Group (JAG) and within this group it has been involved in the lobby for the Domestic Violence Act in 1994 in Malaysia. 1.4 Objectives 1.      To provide on request to women and their children suffering from mental, physical and sexual abuse, temporary refuge services that empower and enable them to determine their own future. 2.      To offer emotional and social support to any women who request for it, resident or otherwise, and offer support and after-care. 3.      To undertake and encourage research into any of the factors those contribute to the inequality and subordination of women. 4.      To undertake and advocate with government and non-government organizations the eradication of factors those contribute to the inequality and subordination of women through law, policy and institutional reforms. 5.      To create an awareness and better understanding among individuals, public and relevant agencies on the issues of violence against women and the underlying inequalities. 1.5 Long-term objective: ·         Trying to reform and re-identify  the Domestic violence Act to be not just physical abuse, but to include emotional, mental tortures, sexual, and financial abuse. ·         Providing form the women ministry  shelters for abused women because it should be  under government obligation not  agencies obligation. ·         Trying to force the government to increase the finical support, while the organization need 70.000 RM per month and the government just gives 100.000 per year. (ii) Previous/current campaigns 1.6 The “Paint It Purple” Campaign: Campaign background: Paint It Purple campaign is a global campaign which organized by The Pixel Project, it held throughout October 2010, its purpose was to raise awareness about Domestic Violence and other forms of Violence Against Women around the world, and to raise funds for The Pixel Project, their partners and participating Violence Against Women organizations around the world. Paint It Purple campaign has used a new way to aware people of DV and VAW by using online (Social Media Campaign)  that Inspiring volunteers, partners, supporters, friends, family and the global public to help The Pixel Project “paint” the internet purple (the colour of the VAW and DV cause) through a viral and very visual campaign using twibbons, buttons, banners and blogskins. And the other way was on the ground A Media-Friendly Event – “Paint It Purple” Parties on second of October 2010 with our partners and any other VAW organization who wish to support the global fight to end DV and all forms of VAW, and jointly raise funds and awareness for their chosen VAW/DV charity and The Pixel Project. 1.8 Campaign on Reforms of  The Domestic Violence Act Campaign background: Reforms of  The Domestic Violence Act campaign is a public education campaign that had been  held on 20th of August 2002 for the third time by Women’s Aid Organization and The Body Shop on Stop Violence Against Women law reform. This campaign has focused on Domestic Violence Act calling for very specific law and policy reforms to:

• Broaden the definition of domestic violence in the Domestic Violence Act to include psychological, mental and emotional abuse.
• Include domestic violence as specific crime in the penal code and have corresponding criminal procedures.
• Prioritize victim safety. Standardize and accelerate protection orders so that women are ensured protection within 24 hours.
• Spell out specific prohibitive acts of violence in the Interim Protection Orders.
  Increase the budget allocation, human resources and conduct gender sensitivity training for the Police, Welfare and Courts. 

Also, the campaign was to encourage women to vote and exercise their rights by registering in any “The Body Shop” outlets or any “Post Office” to urge the various ministries to reform laws and policies to the Domestic Violence Act. 

1.9 Men's Action Network Against Violence ( Man.V ) & The White Ribbon Campaign

Campaign background:

The campaign organized by All Women’s Action Society in Malaysia (AWAM) and Man.V that held in 2004, initiated the formation of MAN.V as the first men’s group to work towards elimination of violence against women in Malaysia.

Man.V in this campaign was to encourage people in society to treat each other equally with men and women, because its members believed that men have allowed the development of a culture of violence that dehumanizes women, and should be part of the solution towards ending violence and discrimination.

In 2005, MAN.V undertook a major project to design and conduct a training programme “Men Working in Partnership with Women to End Violence against Women” targeting young men  aimed at encouraging them to campaign in partnership with women to end violence against women. Workshops were conducted in Johor, Melaka, and Terengganu with approximately reaching approximately 300 youths. This programme was supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and members of the public who pledged to support ending the violence against women by wearing white ribbon, The white ribbon is a personal pledge not to commit violence against women, not to condone acts of violence, not to make excuses for the perpetrators of violence, and not to be silent.