The Association for the Promotion of Women in Romania was founded in 1997 as a branch of IKON Foundation Galati. In the beginning, the organisation supported families with many children by distributing donations in form of clothes and food. During this period, more specific needs of the Timis County women became obvious, indicating the directions where actions needed to be taken. APoWeR resulted in 1999, its goal being to ensure the women of Timisoara and Timis County services they needed: social work, free representation in the Court of Law, psychological counselling, access to income generating programmes and an emergency telephone line for women and girls victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

Mission:
To educate the whole society by promoting affirmative and non-discriminating policies in order to improve women's quality of life.

Target group:

• Girls and women victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse and trafficking.
• Women in politics, management, media, NGOs and administration.
• Women from the rural area and disadvantaged social environment.
• Convict women.

Objectives:

• To raise society's awareness regarding human rights, domestic violence and democratic policies through educational programmes oriented towards topics of social concern, in the absence of any form of discrimination.
• To provide support services concerning the identification, psycho-social intervention, free legal representation in Court and the integration of disadvantaged women with disfunctional families or women victims of domestic violence and trafficking, on the labour market.
• Lobby and advocacy in order to promote legislation and adequate legal practices which offer protection for victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse and trafficking.