Evidence from many countries, both developing and developed, suggests that sanctuary is most often provided by other women, either relatives, friends, or through women s organisations. The resources of communities and the informal responses at the community level must be considered alongside the formal responses of national level organisations and state institutions. Informal responses include action through social networks of kin, friends, neighbours, work colleagues, and community institutions. However, these crucial forms of support can fail, and many women and girls actually encounter hostility, blame and disbelief from those around them, and perpetrators are given implicit and even explicit messages that their behaviour will be tolerated. In this case informal responses can become complicit in the violence.
Formal responses come from organisations and institutions.
It is worth remembering that women have often created their own informal responses because the existing formal channels failed to respond appropriately and effectively. The challenge is how to force bureaucratic organisations into action that complements the work of women s groups, networks and organisations. The tool introduced for looking at formal and informal sanctions and sanctuary can be found in Appendix 7.5. Five small groups met to discuss formal and informal sanctions and sanctuary for sexual harassment in the street and public places, domestic violence, prostitution, child sexual abuse, and rape. But protection is also sanctuary and women can also respond by defending themselves, learning martial arts and self-defence.