Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation (IKWRO)
The Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation (IKWRO) is a registered charity founded in 2002. IKWRO provides advice, support, advocacy and referral in Arabic, Kurdish, Turkish and Farsi to help women, girls and couples living in Gender Equality in the Gender Equality in the United Kingdom, in particular helping women facing domestic violence, forced marriage and Violence against women.
History
IKWRO was founded as a project and later on developed into formally constituted organisation in August 2002 and a registered charity in July 2004, aiming to provide assistance and support to Iranian, Afghan and Kurdish women living in London. In 2006 IKWRO extended their services to cover Arab women as well.
IKWRO has been existing and operating as self-help group long before it adopted its constitution. Initially a group of women from the same communities identified the huge problems and different kinds of violence existing within their own communities which had not been exposed so far; therefore they came together to tackle the issues of “honour” killing, Forced marriage , Domestic violence and other forms of violence against women, girls and young people, and to offer help and support to those in need of safety.
Aims
IKWRO was established in August 2002 to advocate for and support Kurdish and Iranian women, but was expanded in 2006 to support all women and men needing help in the Arabic, Farsi and Kurdish languages. IKWRO can helps women to escape violence within the family or forced marriage, with claiming benefits and making asylum claims, with language skills and other training, and by providing translation and interpreting services. IKWRO is committed to women’s equality and human rights, to empowering women to be able to make their own choices, to support themselves financially and emotionally and to live free and happy lives.
Services
IKWRO provide services and counselling in the following areas:
- Translation and interpretation
- Gender equality in employment, education and entrepreneurship
- Housing and benefits entitlement
- Counselling
- Childcare and support
- Domestic violence
- Divorce
- Forced marriage
- Honour crimes