Centered in Beirut, Lebanon, Oxfam-backed organisation KAFA ("enough" in Arabic) works in five Arab countries, promoting an awareness message and helping women and children who have been victims of violence in a wide variety of ways.
Since it was founded in 2005, KAFA has helped hundreds of women escape violence. It specifically addresses three main issues – violence against women, violence against children, and trafficking of women and children. As Programme Co-ordinator Ghida Anani points out: "It's vital that any organisation working with female victims of abuse should provide all of the necessary services. You cannot separate the legal from the social from the counselling needs. It's essential for a trust relationship."
Direct intervention on behalf of women and children is only part of what Oxfam-supported KAFA provides. Recognising that advocacy and awareness are the only ways to address the root causes of violence against women, the organisation conducts a wide array of training and awareness-raising campaigns. Its 'Silent Witness' campaign used wooden silhouettes of women to represent violence victims, and a 'Clothes Line' exhibit used tee-shirts to encourage visitors to leave anti-violence messages, playing on a 'dirty laundry' theme aimed at shedding light on what has traditionally been a very closed subject in some cultures.
And according to Ghida, the message is slowly getting through: "Awareness is growing, and women are becoming more courageous to speak up about violence."