Saudi Gazette In almost every large metropolis, social services offices are located in the neighborhood districts that need them most. And that usually means that these charitable centers are often found in rundown, low socio-economic neighborhoods in deplorable conditions. The center for Himayah (Family Protection) is no exception, as it stands in the middle of Betromeen district in southern Jeddah, which is widely known as a slum neighborhood that is infamous for its physically and socially hostile environment. Sameera Al-Ghamdi, chairperson of Family Protection, said many members of the community who are active in social reform avoid the center due to its location and the external appearance of the building. “The old building and ill-maintained neighborhood of the Family Protection center is frowned upon by many members of the society. Volunteers and even prospective employees who were promised fixed monthly salaries refused to come to the center because it is located in Betromeen district. (But) it is in areas like this that we need to focus our efforts in increasing public education regarding domestic violence and in raising awareness that physical abuse perpetrated against women and children is unacceptable,” said Al-Ghamdi during the activities hosted by Family Protection on Community Service Day on March 26. The director of Family Protection in Jeddah, Eman Al-Harbi, told the Saudi Gazette: “Many prominent and well-known social workers and counselors even declined coming to the center as guest speakers for some of our public service lectures on domestic violence. The location is very far and even a bit unnerving, but we still need more volunteers, speakers and full-time employees to come down here.” “The women living in the Betromeen and neighboring districts are often targets of physical, verbal and emotional abuse. We provide psychological, psychiatric and legal consultations free of charge to the women in distress. We receive about two new cases each week. Even if a benevolent businessman or investor donates a new and elegant building for Family Protection in one of the finer neighborhoods like in the middle or north of Jeddah, I doubt that we will move because we cannot abandon and leave the women who need us here. What we truly want is more active participation from the community here at our present site,” added Al-Harbi. Among the tasks of Family Protection are helping women reconcile in troubled marriages and offering support and counseling for both the victim and the abusive man. Often to preserve the family unity, the abusive family member is assisted in changing destructive behavioral patterns. And the women receive rehabilitative and other training courses that build their personalities and skills so that they can recover and move forward after traumatic experiences. In those cases which are beyond reconciliation, the center helps the women in reporting their grievances to the Ministry of Social Affairs and in filing a legal complaint. Family Protection has a few volunteer lawyers to assist these women in demanding their rights. There are members of Saudi society who are reluctant to accept the fact that domestic violence exists and in large numbers in the society because it distorts the prettier, rose-colored images they hold. “During my 17 years of experience working as a psychiatrist in the Kingdom, I have witnessed first-hand many cases of physical abuse against women and children. All institutes and individuals must work side by side to reduce its incidence. The problem of domestic violence is an international issue and is not tied to one place or country. In a certain district in the United Kingdom, an incidence of physical abuse befalls someone every 10 minutes. The struggle against domestic violence has improved in the Kingdom over the past 10 years, but it is not over,” said Al-Ghamdi. Al-Ghamdi's final remarks were directed to journalists and all persons who work in the media to help spread awareness on the dangers of domestic violence. In her message, she also stated that those in the media should respect each person's right to privacy, they should refrain from disclosing exact names of the victim and the perpetrator and that they should avoid showing photos that reveal parts of the woman's body that are not appropriate to be seen by the public eye. __
