Since its establishment in 1981, the non-profit and non-governmental Women’s Aid Organization (WAO) has been fighting to create a society in which women can be free of the threat of violence. The WAO sets the promotion of equal rights for women in Malaysia as its primary goal, and hopes that respect, protection, and self-determination would one day be the public domain of all Malaysians, men and women alike.
What Is WAO
The WAO is first and foremost a refuge shelter for abused women and their children. The center offers abused women an actual place to stay as well as emotional support through face-to-face or telephone counseling. The support center allows women who may not have access to information or to resources to receive not only emotional but also legal counseling, whether it is about domestic violence, rape, child abuse, or divorce. Women can find extensive information on these matters on the WAO website or at the center, as well as receive personal guidance from the workers at the center.
Furthermore, WAO also sustains a Childcare Center (CCC), which provides a home for the children of former refuge women. The children receive education, meals, and more, allowing their mothers, who are not yet capable of taking care of them, to live and work independently.
Furthermore, WAO also sustains a Childcare Center (CCC), which provides a home for the children of former refuge women. The children receive education, meals, and more, allowing their mothers, who are not yet capable of taking care of them, to live and work independently.
Achievements
The WAO is also a center where activities, advocacies, and public education programs on family, domestic violence, and women’s rights take place. A notable example is the successful national campaign called #NoExcuseForAbuse, which WAO launched in 2014. Moreover, WAO takes an active role in fighting for law and policy reforms in Malaysia. For example, in collaboration with the Malaysian Joint Action Group (JAG), the WAO lobbied the 1994 Domestic Violence Act. Other examples of the organization's significant involvement are the CEDAW campaign that gained international recognition, and the COMANGO report.
Slow and Steady
The WAO has managed to achieve great progress in just a few decades, and plans to continue on that path for as long as it takes. While the primary objective of the organization remains to provide a safe environment for women in distress, it also hopes to continue to promote awareness of the issues at hand, which will hopefully help progress equality among Malaysian men and women.