Voices of Resistance: the Status of Shelters for Women in Pakistan,

Bari. F
for DFID, 1998

Chapters: Chapter 1 Introduction, Chapter 2 Objectives of the Study, Chapter 3 Methodology, Chapter 4 Profile of the Women Living in Refuges, Chapter 5 Family: Myths and Realities, Chapter 6 Mapping Facilities in Shelters, Chapter 7 Policies of the Shelter, Chapter 8 Conclusions and Policy Recommendations.

This report reviews the physical and social environment of public and private refuges for women in Pakistan and assesses the extent to which these institutions are helping women to reconstruct their lives. This analysis is done within the cultural reality that women's need for shelters emerges out of their subordinate socio-economic status and their lack of access and control over resources and space. The establishment of refuges for women is therefore a response to women's need for shelter. This report also points out the need of women and the difficulties that they face during their stay. It further analyses the existent policies and suggests recommendations for reforming these institutions. This report is divided into four sections, the first section includes the chapters on Profile of the Women Living in Refuges and Family: Myths and Realities; it discusses the reasons women leave their homes. Section two Mapping Facilities in Shelters looks at the physical facilities and supportive services available to women through refuges and the gap between de facto and de jure policies of the refuges. The third section Policies of the Shelter examines the needs of the women in shelters and difficulties encountered by them. The last section is Conclusion and Policy Recommendations, which suggests ways and means to make these shelters more responsive to women's needs.

Key words: shelters, physical facilities, supportive facilities, policies, family, Refuge.