We don’t charge for any of our services. Our reward is your wellbeing, empowerment, and security.
Once Ewaa receives a case of violence, our first step is to understand the facts and then guide the individual on the path of healing which could be to seek one or more of our services or refer to our shelters.
Cases are referred to us both by relevant authorities as well as people contacting us directly through our hotline 800 SAVE (800 7283).
The UAE Government’s Protocol demands that social service entities protect the identities of the people within their care at all times. Ewaa has a well-devised system to maintain data privacy and confidentiality, which is one of our key principles. Our cases are coded by numbers. Your name is used only for legal processes, when absolutely necessary, and only with your permission. At Ewaa, we respect your right to not be defined by an incident of violence in your life.
If you are a victim of violence, you can call us on 800 SAVE (800 7283). Trained staff will give you initial assistance and guidance and understand your case. Based on this assessment, Ewaa will guide you either to one or more of our services or to our shelter.
At all our shelters, people who have experienced violence will benefit from:
- Psychological support
- Social services and rehabilitation
- Recreation facilities
- Medical support
- 24/7 trained staff
- 24/7 security
- Emirati Hospitality
Our shelters in the UAE provide people, who have experienced violence, a safety net. Here, people who have experienced violence receive medical aid, psychological counselling, and legal advice. Adult victims, who are employable, learn new skills to become economically independent. Child victims are encouraged to study, read, play, and enjoy various art forms.
Anybody who has experienced any form of violence can approach Ewaa for support, irrespective of age, gender, religion, or nationality.
When we first receive a person who has experienced violence, we assess the risk level. Domestic abuse cases are offered support in conflict resolution.
- High-risk victims are taken into our shelters and given medical and psychological care, and legal support.
- Our intensive rehabilitation programs aim to empower victims with new skills and the confidence to start life again. Adult victims can become economically independent. Children can pursue their education and heal through play.
- We also ensure a safe passage and legal aid to victims who wish to voluntarily return to their home country.
The Abu Dhabi Center for Sheltering and Humanitarian Care - Ewaa’s mission, under its 360 Model of Care, is to be at the forefront in the fight against violence. Our 360 Model of Care, which offers integrated services to ensure a person reintegrates into society, has made Ewaa a safe haven for people who have experienced violence. We tackle the problem from a 360-degree perspective, taking care of all aspects. We not only aim to help victims become empowered individuals, but also work towards having a greater say in public policies formulated to tackling violence.
Ewaa offers services across:
- Reporting
- Sheltering
- Social Support and rehabilitation
- Psychological Support
- Counselling and legal Support
We are the Abu Dhabi Center for Sheltering and Humanitarian Care – Ewaa, a social sector entity and an affiliate of the Department of Community Development. We offer direct support to people who have experienced any kind of violence – physical, verbal, psychological, sexual, financial, neglect and exploitation. Ewaa not only raises awareness and provides shelters for victims but also works with governmental, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders/partners to reduce the prevalence of all forms of violence in society.
Globally, there are laws against human trafficking that countries are expected to abide by. The most effective way to tackle this evil is better monitoring of migration, passports, entry, and residence of foreigners, especially children, to protect them from exploitation. Governments need to step up vigilance at ports and coordinate with embassies to monitor employment and recruitment processes. Education, poverty-alleviating measures, employment generation, strong policies protecting women and children, especially in crises and wars, and activating the role of civil society organizations can help combat human trafficking.
Under international law, human traffickers are people committing crimes against human rights. Although they usually work in organized networks with financial backing, some of them work independently. They may be a close associate of the victim - a family member, neighbor, or friend. Human traffickers operate on farms, in factories, or in begging and prostitution rings. Some also work in marriage networks that lure girls from poor families into marriage and then exploit them.
Young girls, women, men, and children of all ages can fall prey to human trafficking. The poor and uneducated are the most vulnerable. Sometimes people who have fled their countries to escape war or after natural disasters or people who come to join the workforce, also fall prey to human traffickers.
- The UAE has been vigorous in combating human trafficking crimes, adopting a multi-pronged approach.
- The country has developed anti-trafficking legislations and empowered concerned authorities to use preventive measures.
- It has set up a network of specialized shelters to provide victims with care and support.
- The UAE has also been in the forefront in strengthening international co-operation on this front, becoming a sterling example for the region.
- It has launched several campaigns supervised by different social, rehabilitative and health entities to raise awareness regarding the importance of fighting human trafficking at international, regional, and local levels.
Verify the credibility of the entity offering you a job in the UAE by getting in touch with your local embassy or consulate. You can also contact the company, verify its address, and go through its website, if any. Be wary of offers that seem too good to be true – these can be baits.
You may notice the following signs in a victim of human trafficking:
- They are never seen alone and seem to be constantly under surveillance.
- There is always someone with authority over them who speaks on their behalf and takes decisions for them.
- They have no freedom of movement or with their money.
- They do not keep identification documents and do not have health cards.
- They are isolated from family or friends.
- They are transferred to and from their place of work or work where they live.
- Their hours of work are beyond what is legal.
- They do not get paid for their work.
- They are working to repay a large debt to their employer and are not entitled to leave their job.
- Their living conditions are overcrowded and unhealthy.
- They appear hesitant, confused, fearful and submissive.
- They show signs of physical weakness and/or diseases.
- If they are children, they do not go to school.
The Abu Dhabi Center for Shelter and Humanitarian Care - Ewaa, established in 2008, supports the implementation of anti-human trafficking laws along with many other government and social initiatives to protect human rights and combat other forms of violence. Ewaa works as a member of the UAE National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking, participating in discussions on amendments to legislations and contributing to its efforts to generate awareness and tackle human trafficking on a global level.
Sexual exploitation, along with forced labor, is the most common type of human trafficking. However, there are many other forms, such as the use of victims for theft, fraud, organ trafficking, and forced begging, forcing girls into marriage, the use of children in armed conflict, and the use of illegal and forced labor in homes. Traffickers use all kinds of physical violence and psychological pressure tactics on victims. These include:
- Threatening to harm their families and relatives.
- Threatening to kill or disfigure the victim.
- Threatening victims with imprisonment and/or withholding food and water.
- Forcibly getting them addicted to substances so that it is easier to control them.
- Preventing victims from communicating with others.
- Defaming victims within their community.
Creating a false image of the police so that the victim is afraid to approach them.
The UAE’s Federal Law No. 51 of 2006 was the beginning of the country’s official efforts to combat human trafficking. It gave a boost to the UAE’s fight against this crime on an international level. Amended in 2015, human trafficking includes all forms of sexual exploitation, engaging others in prostitution, servitude, forced labor, organ-trafficking, coerced service, enslavement, begging and quasi-slavery practices. UAE law defines human trafficking as:
- The recruitment, transportation, or receipt of persons by means of threat or force or by coercion, kidnap, fraud, deceit, abuse of power, exploitation or the offer or receipt of money or inducements to secure the consent of a person who is in control of another for the purpose of exploitation;
- This includes all forms of sexual abuse, involuntary servitude, mistreatment, coercion, and work force abuse, as well as the illegal trading of human organs;
- All forms of sexual exploitation, engaging others in prostitution, servitude, forced labor, organ-trafficking, coerced service, enslavement, begging and quasi-slavery practices.
