Sieureusesc.ro: helping women overcome domestic violence!
For the first time, women that deal with domestic violence can get in touch with those who managed to overcome an abusive relationship through an online platform: sieureusesc.ro.
“Women’s duty towards self sacrifice is passed down from generation to generation. That’s what I thought until I talked to one counselor specialized in domestic violence. “ says Simona, who now leads a peaceful life, although she’s in a wheelchair due to the abuse she suffered. “I thought violence meant only broken ribs until someone showed me a list of the different forms of an abuse”, says Loredana Kaschovits. “I’ve been through two abusive relationships, but I got out of them well”, says Ela. All these women managed to transform their life and now are eager to help others that are currently in the same situation as they were before.
First and foremost, we invite women that overcame an abusive relationship to tell their story and to share who and what helped them make a change. They can send their testimonail to us via video, text or audio message. Moreover, in the “Get involved” section, people that want to help can give a hand, regardless if they are specialists, contributors or volunteers.
On the long run, the platform wants to build local communities of survivores – women that made it out of a violent relationship – that can help other women to rise above their current abusive situation, by offering information as well as confidence and moral support – key elements for a woman who feels powerless and has no idea on how to end the misery. Local communities are already functioning in Sibiu, Brasov and Bucharest.
A crucial element of local communities rests in building support groups with a therapeutic role, in which women that have made it out of abusive relationships become resources for those that find themselves in the process of leaving violence and its consequences behind, with the help of a therapist.
1 in 3 women was subject to physical or sexual abuse at one moment in there lifetime, and 28% of women know victims among their close family or friends. Due to its counseling services, A.L.E.G. knows the stories behind the numbers. Inspired from the direct beneficiaries’ needs, in the fall of 2017, the idea of the #SiEuReușesc campaign was born, as well as the one of the Survivors’ Forum that turned into an online network – since march 2017 – and then grew naturally in a national program.
A.L.E.G. is working with ANAIS association in Bucharest and with Pas Alternativ in Brasov in order to create local support groups, as well as with other NGOs. The plan is to extend this communities to more than 10 cities in the next 3 years.
The example that inspired the A.L.E.G. team to create such a program is the one from Fundacion Ana Bella from Spain, a survivor of domestic violence. We are grateful for the support coming from Techsoup Europe, AVON, Ashoka Romania & Design Thinking Society. Big thanks for Chapter 4 Romania, DoR, Recorder, Luthelo, for believing in us.
A.L.E.G. – the Association for Liberty and Equality of Gender, is a NGO from Sibiu, Romania, that is active for more than 14 years in the field of prevention and who fights against violence towards women.
Contact us at: contact@sieureusesc.ro
