Meet Nadia Bushnaq, President, Family Guidance and Awareness Center, and a featured blogger for our participation in the 16 Days of Activism to End Violence Against Women.
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign that has been used as an organizing strategy by individuals and groups around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women.
The Family Guidance and Awareness Center (FGAC) is using innovative strategies to empower Jordanian women to protect themselves from domestic violence.
The FGAC was established in Zarqa, Jordan in 1996 to empower women socially and economically; to integrate them into the development process and the national economy; and to promote the welfare of Jordanian families in general. To achieve these objectives, we conduct a range of regular programs targeting children, women, and the elderly. These include community service for the elderly, reproductive health and family planning, vocational training, employment matching, and holistic programming to combat domestic violence.
Our domestic violence programs include: raising awareness; providing psychosocial support for vulnerable women and children; and providing legal support, counseling, and court representation for victims. We focus on particularly vulnerable populations, and, since 2009, we have been providing psychosocial support to displaced Iraqi, Syrian, and Jordanian women and children. We also do policy advocacy and training, capacity building and empowerment for women, and provide fully integrated services at our Family Justice Center.
Our cooperation with Vital Voices helped us implement our multidisciplinary approach to combating domestic violence and establish the Family Justice Center at our facilities in Zarqa. At the 2nd Summit of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Women in Brazil in November 2012, we won an award entitled “Involving Youth in Jordan in the Pursuit to End Gender-based Violence.” The funding from this award created a pool of young trainers, equipping them with knowledge and skills to help shape better attitudes on gender based violence and enable them to become advocates against gender based violence (GBV).
Throughout the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence the trainers will conduct 10 workshops, targeting their peers in universities and communities to sensitize them on positive problem solving methods, anger control, dialogue building, raising awareness of human rights and democratic values, and volunteer work. At the end of the project, a conference will be held to highlight the youth role in combating GBV and honoring them as FGAC GBV advocates teams, paving the way to form a team that will continue this important work nationally.
The main obstacles we face include fund irregularity and delays, and frustrating bureaucratic barriers. Despite these challenges, we continue in our work, the most innovative aspect of which is found in our comprehensive approach to service provision. By addressing the economic, educational, psychological, legal, and health needs of families and individuals facing domestic violence, we can help give women hope and empower them to seek a better future without violence.
YOU can open up new horizons for us to help maintain our integrated services. We welcome direct donations or collaboration and support in any area of our work that interests you.
Connect with the FGAC on Facebook or by telephone at 0096253865144, or contact me via email at bushnaqnadia@hotmail.com.