About
WAR War Against Rape is tax exempted and certified as a Non-Profit Organization by The i-Care Foundation America. WAR is composed of a committed group of men and women, professional staff and dedicated volunteers in the Governing Body. WAR has an aggressive advocacy component for awareness spreading and legislature changes. It provides crisis intervention to the sexually abused women & children including FREE services like, Legal aid, psycho-therapeutic counseling and basic medical assistance.
History
War Against Rape (WAR) was founded in 1989 in Karachi, by a group of women associated with the Women’s Action Forum (WAF), one of the most prominent and active women’s rights group in Pakistan. Back then, the printed media were publishing various reports of dacoits breaking into homes, robbing families and raping the women of the household. Although the robberies were reported to the Police, the families were not reporting sexual assault and rape. The need for an advocacy group against this problem was felt at a time when the Hudood Ordinances, 1979, had made convictions impossible and women reluctant to report rape.”
WAR started its work as a response to the high incidence of rapes and gang-rapes in the city of Karachi and took special view of the draconian Hudood laws which were not just discriminatory towards women and made rape virtually impossible to prove against the accused, but also caused a multitude of innocent women to languish in jails for crimes committed against them.
WAR has dealt legally with close to 200 cases of varying severity so far, including gang-rapes and fatal sexual assaults, sometimes of children as young as 2 years old. It has extensive experience of interacting directly with survivors and families and has accumulated vast knowledge on the problems they face that in turn affect their choices and recovery. After a decade of servicing, WAR is not only being referred cases, by Judges and State prosecutors in lower and high court of Karachi, but has also secured some land-mark victories in rape trials. It is increasingly being recognized as a legal expert on rape in Karachi by the State and the civil society. An example of the former is Advisor to the Chief Minister, Sindh, requesting WAR’s assistance in a case in 2010, which was subsequently won.
Mission
War Against Rape is committed to work towards creating a rape free society. It endeavors to work on all social, legal, medical and administrative issues that could help either in the reduction of such acts of violence or support, facilitate and improve human rights and conditions for survivors.
Vision
A Society where every individual feels safe and secure from Rape, incest and other forms of sexual abuse; and where survivor Rights to quality and timely psychological care and justice is realized.
Service Delivery
Psycho-Therapeutic Counceling
WAR provides crisis intervention and counseling to survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence. WAR has developed a counseling system, which is implemented through the First Contract Committee, whereby an effective out-reach support service has been made possible through home visits. strong coordination between the Counseling and Legal committees ensures that a psychologist is available for crisis intervention in all initial visits. Besides this, WAR also provides long-term counseling and support, which is offered by WAR’s psychotherapist. when required, emergency medical intervention is also provided to survivors.
Legal Aid
WAR is the only not-for-profit organization in Karachi that provides specialized free legal aid and legal counseling services to survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence. We investigate one hundred cases of rape in Karachi each year and encourage survivors to press charges against the perpetrator. The ultimate decision is , however, for the survivor to make. WAR prosecutes an average on 20 cases within Karachi in a year.
Awareness-Raising:
WAR’s awareness-raising activities broadly focus on the psychological and social ramifications of violence against women with specific emphasis on rape and domestic violence. WAR publishes awareness-raising literature all year round and a bi-annual newsletter as part of is effort to highlight WAR’s activities and the issue of rape and domestic violence.
It networks with the police (including the women police), Medico-Legal Officers (MLOs0, NGOs, NPOs and CBOs, by offering training and sensitization workshops. Chapters of “Young Friends of WAR” have have been established at various schools and colleges and committed groups of young people help in various programs and activities. An annual thematic play highlights issues of women of women rights and is presented both for awareness-raising and fund-raising purpose.
Volunteerism
Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity and is intended to promote goodness or improve human quality of life. In return, this activity can produce a feeling of self-worth and respect.
War Against Rape provides you with such an opportunity. Organization is affiliated with helping the survivors of rape. They work on all social, legal, medical and administrative issues that could help either in the reduction of such acts of violence or support, facilitate and improve human rights and conditions for survivors.
Values
Non judgmental
Empowering
Ethical
Non discrimination
Confidentiality
Non sectarian and apolitical
Respectful
Not gender biased
Survivor centered, responsive
Need based, holistic / comprehensive services
Accountability to all stakeholders, effectiveness
Financial transparency
Environmentally responsible
Recent Projects
Currently, WAR is working on the following projects
Awareness Raising and sensitization Session on Sexual Violence with Students of Karachi University.
Awareness Raising & Sensitization Session On Sexual violence With Students of Jinnah University.
Awareness Raising & Sensitization Session On Sexual violence With school students