Fear of facing society
Lack of self-love
Fear of not being able to sustain myself economically
Tradition
We think we won't be able to maintain ourselves, or we are captive, etc
Fear of leaving my kids without a father
Fear of being criticized by women themselves
Emotional (psychological) support to get out of this situation emotionally and not only legally
Give her confidence, listen to her, don’t judge her
Do not leave her alone, because if the person is aggressive he may cause her harm, give her a place where she is safe while the process is going on
Make a legal demand and raise awareness that the demand must continue as it is one of our rights as humans
Support with her children
Unconditional support
Work with her on her emotions, as in those moments she may not have the capacity to think clearly. Support her morally and let her know that she can trust someone. Help her to regain her inner peace
Judicial support
Grow our self-esteem as women, we are extraordinary women
Why are women living gender-based violence in your community?
What do they need in order to escape violent situations?
These are the two main questions we asked women during an advocacy workshop on women’s rights in San Esteban Atatlahuca. A community where, caught between the Covid-19 pandemic and local agrarian conflict, women are facing high levels of gender-based violence.
In order to provide them with the support they need to seek help and leave harmful relationships and settings, we ask them about the main reasons they don’t or cannot leave violent situations. Following this activity, we asked them what they needed in order to do so. Pictured are some of their answers.
Together we are working towards building a female resilience network in their community, one where they can find refuge and action against violence in their lives.