Power Grant (institutional grant for carrying out the group’s mission).

About the group

Center for Assistance to Nuns perceives its involvement in the feminist movement as a natural extension of the values that are important to us. Our feminism is based on the struggle for equality, justice and dignity of women, especially those who are marginalized or excluded.

The center was initiated by people who noticed that women experiencing harm in the monastic system have nowhere to look for support. Since the beginning of its activity, CAN has focused on helping women who in any way experience violence and abuse within church structures.
It is currently the only place in Poland providing this type of assistance.
The group consists of very diverse people from all over Poland: people with experience of monastic life and those who have decided for apostasy or have never been associated with the Church.

At the heart of our work is the concern for women who experience violence within monastic structures, and who have often been overlooked in traditional feminist movements. We want our actions to aim at preventing violence and abuse against women, regardless of their religious affiliation.

About the action

The Center helps women who experience violence and abuse in the monastic structures: it explains procedures, helps prepare appropriate documentation, conducts telephone consultations, helps in the process of leaving the structure. It creates a network of safe places throughout Poland, gives support in finding work and housing, builds a space of mutual support for women with experience of living in a religious order. In response to the needs of this group, CAN created a safe space in Cracow: an intervention apartment where women can stay after leaving religious communities. It also conducts activities raising awareness of the phenomenon of violence in religious orders and the necessary changes and makes attempts to talk to the authorities of the Roman Catholic Church about the difficult situation of nuns.

Grant amount: PLN 80,000

Photo: Emilia Oksentowicz