Responding to Gender-Based Violence: Changing Narratives

A session on Gender-based violence is never easy, mainly when you do it with leaders who are survivors of violence themselves and who support other survivors of violence.

Our session in the current workshop was tough and yet, it brought out the engagement and wisdom of the participants. Narratives of violence is a topic special to me. In my ‘Narrative Practices Diploma’, the session profoundly impacted me. I am a survivor of emotional violence and have seen it at close quarters. My Somatic Experiencing Training has provided me with ways to work with my psychological safety while engaging with this topic. Combining the narrative work with body work ensures a feeling of safety while allowing deep exploration of violence. 

We created this workshop to explore how violence is inherent in patriarchal norms around Gender. In the workshop, we explored these beliefs as well as explored personal experiences of violence. 

Throughout the session, I worked with the participants’ feelings of safety during the conversation. There were feelings of fear, hurt, and helplessness, along with the exploration of stories of dignity. The foundation principle is that we always respond and use all our skills, abilities, and understanding of the context to its fullest extent. This always conveys who we are and thus restores our self-esteem. The participants found this exercise useful as they reclaimed their strengths and pride. 

We then delved into an exploration of patriarchy, particularly in the context of gender. We also explored how, focusing on the stories of dignity, we can support men and women to deal with gender-based violence. 

The participants shared deeply personal experiences and explored their own responsiveness. We included body exercises to create a container of safety for sharing. They also shared their own challenges on the field while working with survivors of gender-based violence. Some things need to be done immediately, such as providing immediate physical relief, safety, and taking care of legal requirements. When this takes precedence, working with the mental health of both the survivor and the perpetrator takes a back seat. The participants also acknowledged how this exploration helped them look at the situation holistically. 

We are aware that this is a long term process. Lessening domestic violence and restoring dignity is a work to be done one person at a time, a moment at a time. I look forward to doing more to transform the narratives that come in the way of this change.

by Dr. Sanjyot Pethe, Wellness Associate at Parity Lab