ADVOCACY

Addressing Violence Against Women in Rural Areas

This program has grown out of a need for more services, resources and protection in rural communities, particularly for women and children living with violence and abuse. While many laws have changed that promote and seek to protect the rights of women and children, it is evident that reality has not yet caught up. Many of the services available to women and children exist in urban centres like Kota Kinabalu but are severely lacking in the rural areas. 

A major aspect of this program is raising awareness within rural communities to inform women of their rights to services and protection. Additionally, we seek to train men to partner with us to support these women and to encourage a more informed and compassionate view of violence against women. 

Our long term goal is have more funding, officers and shelters in the rural areas so that women and children may live safely, with dignity and support from the community. 

The program started in July 2013 and is conducted in the northern and interior areas of Sabah. 

The objectives of the program include: 

• To ensure that indigenous women and young girls who are affected by violence against women can seek redress and justice
• To form and enable local support groups to effectively support and assist women and children affected by violence against women and other forms of abuse in their community.
• To lobby local government agencies to provide better assistance and protection to violence against women survivors 

With the support of our partners PACOS Trust, the Women’s Committee of the Basel Christian Church of Malaysia (BCCM-BM) and IWGIA, SAWO undertakes a number of activities to address violence against women in rural areas. 

Training – Support groups, trainers and men are given specialised trainings to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to assist women and children affected by violence and abuse in their community. Training includes issues such as supporting survivors, conducting awareness activities, basic financial management and networking            
Awareness – Awareness raising campaigns are conducted in the village and district level with the help of the local support groups

Testimonials
Training of Support Group in Sawoku Tambalutku

Members like Rainah Junali, 39 years old, has been empowered by this project and will follow her SKTK Telupid Team to spread the awareness. 

…my husband beat me when he was still alive and I know what it is like when your husband battered you. It hurts; it ruined me and my children…sharing my experience to others also helps me to find closure for myself…

Lainah Jose, 32 years old, who is also a member, felt proud when someone placed their trust on her when she was conducting a survey.

…I felt relieved and proud when she trusted me with her story. She told me she has been waiting for 60 years to talk about her black history. She cried and cried while she burst it all out. I myself cannot bear to hear her story and it made me cry as well…

Training of Trainers for Men

The training of trainers is part of the rural outreach project that aims to train and educate local communities and community leaders in the rural areas about violence against women. As men’s participation is essential in ending violence against women, these groups of men need to be good examples to men in their communities. A more focused training has been devised to ensure that they are more informed and conscious about gender equality and the roles they need to play to end violence against women.