Dr Lubna Nadvi, chairperson of the Advice Desk for the Abused, second from left, with members at a gender-based violence awareness walk.
FOR the past 40 years, the Advice Desk for the Abused has stood with survivors, empowered voices, and worked towards breaking the cycle of gender-based violence (GBV) and abuse in communities.
As the non-profit and public-benefit organisation marked this milestone, chairperson Dr Lubna Nadvi shared its journey which began in 1986.
She said the organisation, originally named the “Advice Desk for Abused Women”, was co-founded by Judge Navi Pillay, a world-renowned legal professional and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; and the late Professor Anshu Padayachee, an academic and gender-rights activist.
“In the early 1980s, there was a need for a legal intervention for women who were experiencing domestic violence. A lot of women used to approach, in particular, Professor Padayachee.
