Network of Social Services Agencies

Worked with the ASEAN Council for Women and Children (ACWC) to establish a network of social service agencies (NOSSA) working to eliminate and support the victims of violence against women and children.  The assignment involved running consultation workshops in ASEAN member states, preparing country specific and a synthesis report on the findings of the consultation, formulating a 5 Year Sustainability and Strategic plan and making presentations to ACWC.

(ASEAN, 2014-2016)

News Article from the Brunei Times

BRUNEI-MUARA

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

BRUNEI needs a centre that exclusively shelters domestic violence victims to offer better protection when they lodge a report, a consultant said yesterday. Dr Yeow Poon, consultant to the ASEAN-US Partnership for Good Governance, Equitable and Sustainable Development and Security, said there needs to be mechanisms where women can seek help and know that they are protected. Currently, Brunei houses domestic abuse victims at the Welfare Home Complex in Kg Belimbing. However, not all residents of the welfare home are domestic abuse victims.

“A shelter should be established in Brunei, because when the woman comes forward, you cannot just send them home right away. They need to at least have a temporary place where they can be held, and after they have recovered or that the situation at home is sorted out with the abusive spouse, then perhaps she can return home,”

he said.

Dr Yeow was in Brunei yesterday for the “In-country consultation and focus group discussion” among government agencies and NGOs. In an interview on the sidelines of the meeting, he said building a temporary shelter for women who have been subjected to violence requires a lot of money, and that the government should provide assistance.

“There needs to be funding via a partnership between the government and NGOs. Some things need government support, and NGOs can obviously help to deliver. NGOs can also raise money from the public. However, NGOs will also need some funding from the government too,”

he said.

The consultant said the government and NGOs should sit together and look at how they can find the resources to do it, including how much the government is willing to put in to support and how NGOs can organise fundraisers. Dr Yeow added that more public awareness is needed on incidents of violence against women and children here.

About 32 participants attended yesterday’s discussions. According to a press statement by the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection on the Rights of Women and Children Brunei, the meeting aimed to provide training courses and research opportunities to volunteers and professionals.

Brunei is the chair of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection on the Rights of Women and Children for the 2014-2016 term. – Rachel Thien

The Brunei Times