Nicaraguan Group’s Initiative to Support Women Victims
Advocates from “Grupo Venancia” have posted slides on social media offering details about how to help victims formulate safety and accompaniment plans.
HAVANA TIMES – The women’s rights advocates belonging to the Nicaraguan organization “Grupo Venancia” are promoting an initiative for accompanying women who are victims of violence. They’ve posted a series of slides explaining simple ways that family members, friends, or acquaintances of women victims of violence can help them create support networks, safety plans, and plans for accompaniment.
In the first section of their initiative, the women advocates offer: “ideas for supporting a woman who is living with violence and feels that the situation could get out of control.” The slides explain that helping these women involves identifying: “the resources the victim can count on to protect her life.” They encourage such women to “connect with their own power and think about how to get out of the situation.”
Grupo Venancia’s posted information also highlights the importance of having advocates help the victims to identify their personal resources and the support networks they can rely on to escape the violent situation. The posted illustration invites supporters to ask the victims what risks they identify; how far they believe their partner’s violence could go; who they can count on in an emergency; what their qualities and strengths are; what assets or economic resources are in their names; and if they have any money put away to face the situation.
The posted guide also encouraged those who are close to the victims to analyze a number of other factors with them: “possible emergency scenarios, and what they could do to protect themselves” if one should occur; and “what the safe escape routes are in case of emergency.” These advocates could also remind them “to memorize or note phone numbers and addresses to use in an emergency.” If the victim doesn’t know anyone who could help, advocates can try to “find organizations that could help her.”
Safety plan for women victims of violence
The advocates recalled: “when a woman living with violence manages to break the silence, it’s because she sees that her life, or that of her family, is in danger. Offering support is a great help to someone in that situation.”
In the second part of their work, the slides explain that in order to elaborate safety plans, the support person should work with the victims to “measure the risks by knowing the level of violence she’s suffering, and then decide on next steps.”
Questions that help measure these risks include: “How long has this situation been going on, and who’s being affected” The advocate should also ask: “Has your partner threatened to kill you or attempted to do so? Do they use alcohol or drugs? Do they have knives or firearms?” and “Do you believe you’ll be safe when you go home?” If the situation is very serious, the slides suggest “working together to identify a temporary place for shelter and help her get there.”
The group also suggests that advocates speak with the victim about “the possibility of denouncing [the aggressor] to the authorities, without pressuring her,” on this topic. “If she decides not to, don’t criticize her. We should keep in mind that getting out of a violent situation is a process in which first the woman must grow stronger, recognize her rights, and overcome her fears.”
Similarly, they recommend helping the victim plan “actions to protect herself, without the aggressor finding out.” Some of these ideas are: keeping a bag or backpack ready in a safe place with clothes, house keys – whether originals or copies – important documents like ID cards, birth certificates, vaccination cards, notes, property deeds and money.
Advocates working with Grupo Venancia suggest that if there are children who are old enough to understand the situation, the women should talk with them about the risks they run, and their right to protect themselves. Another suggestion they give victims is to move the furniture around every so often so that the aggressor has more trouble getting oriented and bumps into things, thus warning of his arrival. The victim should meanwhile have identified an escape route and tried it out with their children. Younger children should be taught that if there’s “a fight” at home, they should get out fast and ask for help. Bigger children should also have on hand names, cell numbers and addresses of people who can help them.