-Authored South Africa’s first Diversion Programme Handbook for child sex offenders shifting young perpetrators from prison cells to therapeutic intervention and dramatically reducing re-offending rates.

-Successfully challenged archaic sections of the Sexual Offences Act in the Constitutional Court, ensuring the law no longer revictimizes child complainants.

-Produced groundbreaking doctoral research on the pathways of juvenile sex offenders, now used to train magistrates, social workers, and police across the country.

• During the COVID-19 lockdowns, when GBV cases exploded behind closed doors, led the Foundation to support more than 10 000 clients in a single year—8 000 of them new cases, while simultaneously lobbying government to recognize the “shadow pandemic”.
• Continues to serve on national task teams, UNICEF reference groups, and the South African Professional Conduct Committee for Psychologists, shaping policy that protects the most vulnerable.

Dr Omar’s mantra is simple: “Wake up, make up, and show up.” And for three decades, she has shown up on the worst days, in the hardest places, with the heaviest stories.

A declaration is only powerful if it becomes action. The national disaster status means:

• Dedicated budget lines for shelters, forensic services, and therapeutic programmes.
• Faster deployment of resources to hotspot areas.
• Stronger accountability for departments that have failed survivors in the past.

At The Teddy Bear Foundation, we are ready. Our multidisciplinary team psychologists, social workers, play therapists, and child-law attorneys stands prepared to scale our trauma-focused interventions, train more first responders, and walk alongside every child who walks through our doors clutching nothing but fear. This is our win but the work is far from over. Today we celebrate. Tomorrow, we roll up our sleeves again. Because until every little girl can fall asleep without checking under the bed, until every woman can walk home after dark without quickening her step, until every child knows that a teddy bear is for hugging and not for hiding bruises behind, we still have a disaster on our hands. And we will keep showing up.