AWCH Amnesty for Women

Amnesty for Women e.V. Hamburg has nothing to do with Amnesty International. Amnesty for Women was founded in 1986 and began by counseling mail-order brides from Southeast Asia. Now working with women from South America, almost everywhere in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe, the prime objective is to help displaced women integrate quickly into Germany. Most women Amnesty for Women works with arrive in Germany with no language skills, support group or family. Some mail-order brides have been abandoned by their husbands before acquiring any legal status in Germany. When these women have legal problems they may get deported to their home country with no chance to return due to the “Schengener Rules”, work permits are almost impossible to get, and without at least a basic knowledge of the German language even blue collar work is limited. So most women wind up in prostitution even though they came with plans to work in restaurants, households or offices. Their families back home often rely on financial support from these women and too often they are left helpless – on the street.

In Hamburg there is one location these women can turn to for help:
Amnesty for Women, Städtegruppe Hamburg, e.V. Grosse Bergstrasse 231, 22767 Hamburg, tel 040-384753, fax 040-385758, email info@amnestyforwomen.de, www.amnestyforwomen.de.

Amnesty for Women aims to change the structure that makes women dependent upon and open to exploitation. Toward this effort they work on two fronts; the first of which is the local and direct support of these women coming in for help. AfW accompanies them to the doctor, helps them with bureaucratic formalities, provides legal aid, gives language classes in German and English, organizes sewing and cooking classes, and offers skills-oriented workshops. Often Amnesty for Women provides counseling on social and legal issues in the mother tongue of the client (Thai, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, English). In 2002, Amnesty for Women had 608 direct clients who received consultation in the AfW office or on the phone. The services are all anonymous and free of charge, except the language classes for which a fee of 50 Euros is required.

The other front is encompassed in three key projects, which include:

TAMPEP (since 1993) is the Transnational AIDS/STD Prevention Among Migrant Prostitutes in Europe. A large number of prostitutes in Germany are migrants. Many carry and transmit AIDS; many are victims of trafficking. TAMPEP was set up to contact women in the street, provide health education and counseling, and train “peer educators” also on the street. In addition to providing information material adapted to the sex workers’ background, another goal is to strengthen sex workers’ self respect and self confidence.

FEMMIGRATION (since 2000) is the Legal Agenda for Migrant Prostitutes and Trafficked Women on the Internet. www.femmigration.net is an Internet information platform which provides up to date and precise information about the real situation and legal status of trafficked women and migrant sex workers in EU countries. Amnesty for Women coordinates the project covering 12 countries.

PSYFEM (since 2002): Psychological and Psychiatric Care for Migrant Women in Europe is set up to examine the psychological and psychiatric care provisions for migrant women, creates awareness about the means of this care for migrant women, and aims to build an international cooperation information network.

The funds provided by the EU Commission for these three projects flow exceptionally into the projects and only when they are running, not continuously. AfW receives only a little share of each project budget for phone, rental and energy expenses which represent about five percent of the monthly overall costs of the organization.

Almost everyone who works for Amnesty for Women and its projects is a volunteer. Very few are specialists in the field of health, law, counseling, or training. All are passionate about what they do and provide remarkable service for women who really need it – right at their doorstep. As one FAWCO rep stated on an earlier occasion, “It’s made for FAWCO.”

How can the members of the AWCH help?

Support the work of Amnesty for Women through a donation. With the money AfW can, for instance, pay a woman’s bill at a hospital, make possible a therapy session for a mother and a child, consult a lawyer, help raise the money to organize seminars for the migrant women, etc.

Members can become a member of AfW. It costs EUR 40 a year.

Members can offer an English course on a volunteer basis.

Members can inform other people about the work of AfW so that they can also support this work financially.

Members can participate in or organize a course to raise funds for AfW’s work.

Julieta Manzi and Pat Mix from Amnesty for Women will inform the AWCH about events and activities where the members can help. Check for information in Currents and on the email loop.

For more information please contact:
Amnesty for Women Hamburg e.V.
Grosse Bergstrasse 231
22767 Hamburg
Tel 040 384753, Fax 040 385758
Email info@amnestyforwomen.de
Website www.amnestyforwomen.de