Mission Statement

The emergency shelter is committed to provide a safe environment to women and their children suffering violence in intimate and family relationships.

The Service

The emergency shelter was set up in October 2000. Its aim is to providean immediate safe environment to women victims of domestic violence and their children, who require immediate protection. The shelter programme is based on the belief that women and children have a right to protection from violence and abuse and that any woman, regardless of socio-economic, status and age may be subjected to abuse. The service offers a setting conducive to self healing to women and their children who suffer emotional, physical and sexual violence.

The women's stay at the shelter is aimed at a maximum period of three months, after which service users will move on to a second stage shelter, or to any alternative accommodation that would have been identified during their stay at Ghabex. During these three months, staff at Ghabex support the women in their daily needs, and will also work with them to draw up an action plan for their future.

Aims and Objectives

- To provide 24 hour crisis intervention to women suffering violence in intimate and family relationships.

- To provide safe refuge to women and children requiring emergency and temporary shelter in a safe environment.

- To provide professional support that includes individual and group work, to women and children leaving abusive relationships so that they may begin to deal with the effects of abuse and work towards making concrete plans for the future.

- To provide a non-judgmental service that respects women's right to self-determination.

- To help empower women and children and to support them in the decisions that they make.

- To increase women's and children's awareness of the dynamics and adverse effects of violence and to help them understand that abuse is neither acceptable nor justified.

- To provide information about other resources that focus on family violence and that directly or indirectly address the needs of person suffering abuse and violence.

- To help women establish links with other community resources.

- To join efforts with other agencies that address family violence to provide a more holistic service and coordinated response to persons suffering abuse.

- To network closely with other shelter so as to ensure the best utilization of services for the maximum benefit of service users;

- To promote a society with zero tolerance to violence.