Major Activities of the APSW

From the small beginning in 1974, up to the present day, the Emergency Home has provided assistance to more than 45,000 women and children who come from all parts of the country.

The Emergency Home provides temporary shelter, food and physical and mental rehabilitation services for women and children. On any given day, there are about 150 women and children sheltering at the Emergency Home.

Within the Emergency Home, Women’s Clinic takes care of expectant mothers, mostly young girls with unplanned pregnancies. These women mainly stay throughout their pregnancy. Women’s Clinic also offers hot line telephone services for consultation on women’s reproductive health problems.

The Children’s Home looks after the children who accompany their mothers sheltered at the Emergency Homes as well as those who are victims of violence and abandonment.

Kanitnaree Center (Rape Crisis Center) is the latest service initiative of the APSW. Opened in October 2003, the Center, fully equipped with a medical examination room and a one way mirror, close circuit camera and recording, provides sensitive care and assistance to rape victims.

The last three to four years have seen an increasing number of HIV /AIDS cases seeking help from the APSW. Services include counseling services, home visits of AIDS patients in several communities and provision of counseling, shelter and care. At present the facilities could offer shelter to 30 patients. Close cooperation has been secured with state hospitals in provision of health care for these HIV/AIDS cases.

For the women and children sheltered at the Emergency Homes, apart from the rehabilitation services, the Women’s Education and Training Center (WE-TRAIN) of the APSW also offers opportunities for the women to undergo vocational skills training according to their interests. Income-generating activities based on the skills acquired are also organized to empower them economically. Non-formal education at primary and secondary levels is also offered as the APSW is serving as a non-formal education center, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.
For children who require continued formal schooling, in cases that they are removed from their family and sheltered at the Emergency Home, arrangements for schooling are made with a local school, situated nearby.

Youth Center is another major activity of the APSW. Established almost a decade ago, the Center caters for activities for youth in the vicinity of the APSW as a means to instill in them proper attitudes towards gender equality, social responsibility and abstinence from drugs and alcohol. Among the APSW youth activities that have been organized include youth camps and training youth leaders in the area of reproductive health and rights through working with schools in Bangkok.

The latest youth program that has been launched since 2002 is the provision of reproductive health information and reproductive rights awareness raising activities as well as counseling in reproductive health matters through Teen House, the Resource Center for Reproductive Health and Reproductive Rights for adolescents. The Teen House is situated in the downtown area of Bangkok.

The APSW also has its research arm – the Gender and Development Research Institute which carries out action research on policy issues including policy advocacy to advance the status of women and promote gender equality.

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