‘Use empowering approach to assist women’
KUCHING: Organisations intending to assist women need to adopt an empowering approach.
This was the message from Sarawak Women for Women Society ( SWWS) to participants at their recent training course which introduced basic paracounselling skills to women wanting to help others in distress.
“Counselling is about helping people make their own decision after exploring together their situations, feelings and options,” said Dr Angie Garet who was one of the trainers.
“It’s not about telling people what to do,” she explained, adding, it is why helpers need to develop self-awareness and good listening skills so they stop imposing their opinions on others and instead enable them to make their own decisions.
Through case studies, trainers Dr Ling How Kee and Gill Raja demonstrated how wherever there is abuse there is a power difference in favour of the
This inequality is why legislation and human rights conventions aim to empower as well as to protect women and girls who have been abused so this imbalance is addressed.
perpetrator.
“This inequality is why legislation and human rights conventions aim to empower as well as to protect women and girls who have been abused so this imbalance is addressed,” said SWWS president Margaret Bedus.
“But to be empowered, women need to know their rights and so do the people helping them,” she added.
Over 30 women attended the three- day course held over two weekends.
In addition to training members of SWWS to sustain their Crisis Phone Line, other non-governmental organisations ( NGOs) took up the offer to increase their awareness and to develop their para- counselling skills.
They included Ikram, Mental Health Association of Sarawak and Women Organisation for Change ( WOC) among others.
The training was closed by Jacob Ashley representing the Department of Women and Family (JWKS) which sponsored the event.
Women facing problems can ring SWWS’ Crisis Phone line on 082- 422660 (evening and daytime sessions – see www.sarswws.org for details).
Those wishing to join or donate to SWWS can contact them via the website/Facebook page or by emailing sarswws@ gmail.com.
Margaret Bedus, SWWS president