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The Sharan Project

Sharan logo

EDAC is being led by the Sharan Project, a charity that aims to empower, educate and inspire women who want to learn about the support and choices that are available to them, and provide them with the tools to lead life on their own terms.

Our History

The Sharan Project is a U.K. based charity providing support to women, in particular those of South Asian origin, that have been or are at risk of being disowned due to abuse or persecution. This includes forced marriage, honour-based abuse, dowry conflict, domestic violence and other forms of harmful practices. Through our largely web-based service, we offer advice and resources to help women with their transition to an independent life without fear.

Our Founder, Polly Harrar

Polly Harrar set up the charity in 2008 after recognising an increasing demand to provide culturally sensitive, tailored support, practical advice and information to empower women to rebuild their lives following disownment. She has been recognised by Amnesty International as a human rights defender and awarded a wiki page as part of the Brave Campaign to highlight female activists.  

Polly Harrar

Our Projects

In addition to EDAC, the organisation is part of various initiatives and campaigns:

Our Girl logo

Our Girl
National Forced Marriage Prevention and Awareness Campaign

Futures for Women logo

Futures for Women
Supporting Women Affected by Domestic Abuse to Enter or Re-Enter the Workplace

Right 2 Choose logo

Right2Choose
Engagement with Universities to Help Spot Signs of Forced Marriage and Prevention

Hillingdon Workplace Safespace logo

Hillingdon Workplace Safespace
Supporting Local Employers to Prevent and Tackle Domestic Abuse

Harnessing Change logo

Harnessing Change
Advocacy from Well-Established Public Figures and Distinguished Leaders on Consent in Marriage and Other Harmful Practices

The School Charter logo

London Harmful Practices Group,
The School Charter

Equip the Education Workforce to Increase Awareness of Harmful Practices through School Lessons

Our Services to Clients

The Sharan Project is able to provide advice, resources and appropriate referrals to ensure clients receive the support they need with regards to housing, health, finance, employment and education.

With a dedicated IDVA/Client advisor, the Sharan project provides wrap around support for women affected by abuse who are engaged with EDAC.

Services to Employers

The Sharan Project is able to provide various training and resources to help employers create a supportive work environment for their employees who have been affected by abuse. These include:

  • Access to a Client Advisor for employees of registered members affected by abuse
  • Support to develop DA policies and pathways through providing expert guidance on how to establish appropriate internal processes
  • Training on Domestic Abuse (DA) and Harmful Practice (HP’s) including workshops on how to recognise signs of DA and HP’s, recruitment guidance and development of bespoke action plans
  • Develop or review safeguarding strategies and policies.

We understand that all organisations are unique and are at various stages of developing a workplace that is inclusive and supportive. We want to work with organisations and are happy to tailor our support in accordance to individual needs.

Contact us to discuss further ›

Find out more

To find out more about the organisation and our work, visit our website: sharan.org.uk