Empowerment of women

Empowerment through rehab & rights

Marlene Ladine
Republic of Mauritius
 SECOND ANNUAL SOUTHERN AFRICA LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AND GENDER JUSTICE
Empowerment of women

SUMMIT AND AWARDS

28 – 30 MARCH 2011
KOPANONG HOTEL, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH
AFRICA
“365 DAYS OF LOCAL ACTION TO END GENDER
VIOLENCE: HALVE GENDER VIOLENCE BY 2015”

Empowerment through rehab & rights

 PROBLEM IDENTIFIED
Empowerment of women

• UNICEF survey in 2003

• Project committee worked on the field
Showed the need for a centre dedicated to
women in substance abuse: Chrysalide
• Opening in 2004
• Most beneficiaries HIV+ and Sex Workers
Showed the need for Red Umbrella
Campaign

Empowerment through rehab & rights

 IMPORTANT ISSUES
Empowerment of women

• Illegal practices (Drugs & Sex Work)

Vicious cycle

Marginalization

 Denied access to basic Human Rights

Empowerment through rehab & rights

 THE WAY TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM
Empowerment of women

• Treat, rehabilitate and reintegrate into society

women suffering from substance abuse:
- Detoxification
- Psychotherapy
- Professional re-orientation
- Educational, vocational & professional training
- Assistance in job finding/living arrangement
- Follow-up after reinsertion

Empowerment through rehab & rights

Empowerment of women

• Children: Chrysalide
also takes care of any
baby and child up to
12 years old living
with their mother
during her
rehabilitation

Empowerment through rehab & rights

 RESPONSIBILITIES &
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Cooking Cleaning

Gardening
CHICKEN FARM
Handicraft Sewing & Embroidery Massage

WORKSHOPS

Belly Dancing Yoga

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
 • HIV/AIDS:
Empowerment of women

- Prevention in Youth Centre, Women Centre,

Schools
- Outreach officers
- 44% of beneficiaries are HIV+
- Systematic HIV testing, counseling & medical
accompaniment

Empowerment through rehab & rights

 • Red Umbrella Campaign:
Empowerment of women

- December 18th 2010: manifestation on the streets

- Advocacy
- Media covering
- Battle for sex rights & against violence towards them
- Survey since January 2011

Empowerment through rehab & rights

Empowerment of women

Empowerment through rehab & rights

 TIME-FRAME FOR THE PROJECT
Empowerment of women

• Therapeutic program:1 or 2 years

• Prevention & Red Umbrella March
Campaign: ongoing

Empowerment through rehab & rights

 THE TARGETS
Empowerment of women

• Key target: • Involvement of men:

- Women and - MSM
transgender in
substance abuse: - Prevention aims at men &
mothers, sex women
workers, IDUs, ex-
prisoners, HIV+
- Male & Female Staff
- Families

- Youth

Empowerment through rehab & rights

 PARTNERSHIPS FORMED THROUGH THE
PROJECT
Empowerment of women

• Ministry of Gender Equity, Child

Development & Family Welfare

• Regional under the AIRIS/COI project

• Local NGOs: BOFE, Kinouete, CUT …

• International NGOs: Fight AIDs Monaco,

Global Fund

Empowerment through rehab & rights

 RESOURCEFULNESS : FINANCIAL
Empowerment of women

Financial Resources 2010

Sales of Eggs &
Veggies
2%

Fund Aid
8%
Donations in kind
0%

CSR
40%

Ministry of Gender
Equity
50%

Empowerment through rehab & rights

 RESOURCEFULNESS: HUMAN
Empowerment of women

• Staff: • Volunteers:
2 social workers Supervision
2 outreach officers Workshops: aerobics, yoga,
3 admin staff massage, crafts, IT,
literacy
1 psychologist
1 gardener • Executive Committee
1 handyman 7 members

Empowerment through rehab & rights

 MONITORING AND EVALUATION
Empowerment of women

• Records Book
• Monthly Report
• Personal details file
• Monthly therapeutic planning
• Report to Financial donors

Empowerment through rehab & rights

 ACHIEVEMENTS
Empowerment of women

• Residents: 456 women & 121 children have been

rehabilitated
86% sex workers
81% IDUs
42% HIV+, 50% of which pregnant
100% children HIV-
• Prevention : touches 1200 + yearly
• Red Ribbon Award
• 1st ever Mauritian Red Umbrella March in 2010

Empowerment through rehab & rights

 IMPACT (BASED ON THE SADC PROTOCOL TARGETS)
Empowerment of women

• Rights & Justice: Red Umbrella March

• Economic Empowerment: professional re-

orientation, job training, assistance in finding a job
and creating job opportunities.

• Support Service: free of charge services at

Chrysalide and prevention outreach services.

• HIV/AIDS: integral accompaniment

Empowerment through rehab & rights

 EFFECTIVENESS
Empowerment of women

• Women who finish • Women who abandon

their program: their program:
Autonomous Unstable
Alert Fragile
Less incline to 99% relapse
relapse Irresponsible mothers
Responsible pushing the kids into
mothers the same vicious
circle

Empowerment through rehab & rights

 SUSTAINABILITY
Empowerment of women

• Financial • Methodological
sustainability: sustainability:
Working on Psychotherapy &
becoming entirely empowerment as
self-sufficient
opposed to only detox
and financial security

Empowerment through rehab & rights

 REPLICATION
• Replication:
Empowerment of women

Collaborations under the AIRIS/COI project

to help regional NGOs replicate our model
(AFSA & Centre Mont Royal)

Empowerment through rehab & rights

 LESSONS LEARNED
Empowerment of women

• Female toxicomania is an ever-changing

issue

• Importance of ongoing field research

• Relationship with men – partners, pimps and

dealers

Empowerment through rehab & rights

Empowerment of women

THANKING YOU
FOR YOUR
ATTENTION

Empowerment through rehab & rights