Caritas Bakhita House was among the winners of the IKWRO True Honour Awards announced on 5 May. IKWRO (originally the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation) has a mission to protect Middle Eastern and Afghan women and girls who are at risk of ‘honour’ based violence, forced marriage, child marriage, female genital mutilation and domestic violence and to promote their rights.
Caritas Bakhita House was chosen Winner of Special Recognition as Outstanding Organisation Tackling “Honour” Based Abuse because of their work with women that have experienced and are at risk of many forms of harm, including “honour” based abuse. Some of the women who have lived at Bakhita House have been sold by their families and some have been told they would be married to men they did not even know.
They were also impressed that Bakhita House takes in women that other refuges may not, including women without recourse to public funds, and praised
Bakhita House for creating a family-like environment where the women are safe and secure and learn many skills.
Karen Anstiss, service manager of Bakhita House, was clearly elated to have won the award, and said “The IKWRO Honour Awards show that partnerships are vital in helping the most vulnerable. Everyone needs to play their part to enable people to live safely with dignity”
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An interview of Karen Anstiss by Peter Stamford, in the Tablet
