“Women come to share their stories. Their trust is our power.”

Five sisters, bound with a strong relationship and the shared experience of growing up in a domestic violence-affected household. It had been their childhood dream: to create a safe place, where children suffering violence could feel protected and find relief. Years later, one of the sisters established a foundation supporting domestic violence survivors with support from her siblings.

Sense of agency and power

A group of over ten women from Polanka Hallera (village in the Małopolska voivodship) and its neighbourhood spent three weekends, February through April, attending development workshops organised by the Foundation. Workshops were attended by i.a. women experiencing assorted forms of violence. The first meeting focused on the phenomenon of discrimination, gender-based in particular, on social norms and roles, and on mechanisms of exclusion and violence.

The second workshop – given the working name of Meeting Oneself – involved an analysis of individual needs, purposes, and potential. The final weekend session focused on “changing the world”, supporting others, social activities, and agency. Women behind the idea declared, “We want this to become a seed for a permanent group of women supporting each other – an impulse to develop mutual relations and desired skills”.

Grant amount: PLN 4,400.00

Photos: Imagine Foundation