A regional women’s crisis support group has reported a rise in anxiety and stress-related calls to its helpline during the recent Iranian conflict.
Shamsaha received calls from women in Bahrain through its 24/7 mobile app-based hotline, with a small number of enquiries also coming from across the Gulf.
Founded 10 years ago, Shamsaha (‘Her Sun’) is the only gender-based violence crisis advocacy response programme in the Middle East and has been committed to supporting survivors of domestic abuse through advocacy and empowerment programmes.
It is presently operational in 10 countries and has tie-ups with women’s organisations and support groups in all the six Gulf states, as well as in Egypt, Jordan, Palestine and Sudan.
“We saw an increase in calls linked to mental health concerns, particularly heightened anxiety and emotional distress, which often overlap with domestic violence-related situations,” Shamsaha senior caseworker Aysha Sharif told the GDN, highlighting the impact of the Iran conflict.
“Some callers also reached out experiencing family tension, or uncertainty about how to access support during that period. In some cases, stressful external events can intensify existing household pressures, so people often seek guidance, emotional support, and information on available services,” she added.
The US-Israel-Iran war broke out on February 28, during which Bahrain and other countries in the region faced missile and drone attacks. At the height of the uncertainty, several residents temporarily left their homes and sought refuge in shelters.
There was also a reported rise in mental health-related issues across the kingdom during this period. A ceasefire was announced on April 8 and later extended to allow for further negotiations.
In a previous interview with the GDN, Shamsaha founder and chief executive officer Dr Mary-Justine Todd highlighted that 25 per cent of women experience violence at some point in their lives and this number increases by up to 50pc during times of conflict.
The PhD holder in International Law from Leicester University underpinned that public health data shows that when a woman is in a war zone and suffers abuse, she is less likely to report it. This compounds the problem, making the role of institutions like Shamsaha even more important.
“During the conflict, Shamsaha continued to ensure that support remained accessible and responsive. This included maintaining our helpline and support channels, providing emotional support, safety planning where needed, guidance on available resources, and referrals to relevant services,” Ms Sharif said.
“We also continued our awareness efforts through social media by sharing educational content around mental wellbeing, healthy coping strategies, available support systems, and encouraging people to seek help early.”
The Shamsaha application, which was upgraded in November last year, features key resources like information on legal help, therapy, police contact details, as well as ‘survivor support tools explaining the cycle of abuse, safety plans and more.
Additionally, Shamsaha’s App 2.0 offers better navigation, enhanced privacy and safety features, a simplified chat interface and improved access to the organisation’s 24/7 crisis support in English and Arabic. Around 20 other languages, including French, Russian, Hindi and Tagalog are also available.
Presently, there are around 100 active NACP-certified volunteers fully dedicated to the application’s helpline.
National Advocate Credentialing Programme (NACP) is an internationally accredited training and certification body for individuals who wish to provide services to victims of crime.
More than 75,000 women in the Middle East and North Africa region have benefited from the charity, which has registered roughly 3,000 to 5,000 new app downloads every month.
“We continue to support and acknowledge the strong efforts being made by the government and relevant entities in Bahrain in strengthening awareness, response systems, and protection services in this area,” Ms Sharif added.
The Shamsaha application is available for free on both, Apple and Android devices.
For details, follow @shamsaha_me on Instagram or visit shamsaha.org.
melissa@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))