The Al-Nahdha Charity offers one of the few safe places for female victims of domestic violence to turn to, offering them protection and a dignified standard of living. The women who are currently sheltered there are in no doubt of the value of its services. Some of them have been refused divorce by their husbands, others have taken refuge from violence committed against them and their children. A woman, who preferred not to give her name, has lived at the facility for over a year after fleeing from her drug-addict husband. “I reported him to the police after he hit me and they sent me here,” she said. “The police issued a warrant for his arrest but he has still not been caught. Al-Nahdha has helped me and my children recover from the psychological effects of my husband's violence.” The only thing she seeks is a divorce from her husband. “My application for help from the Social Security Department was rejected because I am married,” she said. Another resident, an Arab journalist, has been with Al-Nahdha for the last two years and is seeking repatriation to her home country via the courts, a process which she says is being deliberately delayed by her husband. According to sociologist Sameera Al-Sufiyani, the charity's policy is to not house non-Saudis, but they made an exception in this woman's case because of her unique circumstances. “Arab embassies do not care for their nationals as well as the embassies of other countries,” Al-Sufiyani said. Al-Nahdha is under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Affairs and is open 24 hours a day to admit women who face temporary social, health, economic or legal difficulties. There are no plans for expansion as the policy of the charity is to not encourage residence outside the family home except in extreme circumstances. The society only admits individuals after a medical report has been submitted verifying any claims of violence. “Previously the police used to send us anyone claiming to be a victim of domestic violence without any background check,” said Nida'a Al-Olaiyan, head of the Social Service Department at the charity. “Some girls come to us with bruises and claim they are victims of violence at home, only for us to discover after checking the facts that they have deliberately bruised themselves just to have somewhere to stay after running away from home.” Al-Olaiyan said an official process was in place for the admission of women seeking care, with formal references to the police, the governor's office, and other governmental bodies. “Each case is studied individually and registered in our records as part of an ongoing database,” Al
