Sustainability in Pprotecting the Most Vulnerable Groups within Civil Society Organizations

(Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, as a model)

Abstract

This study aims to identify the factors that achieve sustainability in the context of civil society organizations in general, and also aims to present the efforts undertaken by the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children as a sustainable model for a community institution of non-governmental civil society organizations in the United Arab Emirates, Which provides immediate support services to protect the most vulnerable groups of women and children, victims of domestic violence, child abuse and human trafficking. The study also links these efforts with the sustainable human development goals and examines how it’s been achieved through practical practices using the case study approach, and linking it to some aspects of the CSO Sustainability Index.

          The study concludes that the factors for achieving sustainability in the context of civil society institutions means obtaining the largest number of indicators evaluating the strength and viability of civil society in seven dimensions: the legal environment, organizational capacity, feasibility of financial resources, advocacy, level of service provision, infrastructure strength and the public image. The study also concluded that the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children was able to create a model in protecting the most vulnerable groups, and providing them with the necessary services by adhering to the guidelines that it set and worked to implement in the field of organizational capacity, partnership and creating sustainable financing and reputation. And that the societal work practiced by the Foundation achieves the concept of sustainability in the human development of this group in the areas covered by the study.