This project addresses the problem of violence towards women in Śląsk. 6 379 Blue Cards were created in the Śląsk voivodship in 2019, which is the second highest figure in Poland. The pandemic exacerbated the problem. Social isolation is a situation conducive to perpetrators, giving them more power and control over their partners, while victims of violence have limited options for seeking help during a pandemic. Gender-based violence is common and can happen to anyone regardless of social or material standing. Despite this, the subject of domestic abuse is still taboo. This problem is part of the broader social and political context, such as government measures to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention on Violence and the governing majority’s dismissive approach towards domestic violence.
This is a therapeutic and activation project. Support groups will be formed for abused women in nine towns in the Śląsk voivodship (Gliwice, Zabrze, Katowice, Bytom, Ruda Śląska, Piekary Śląskie, Tarnowskie Góry, Toszek, Zawiercie). The female participants will meet regularly for two years. The support groups will include therapeutic workshops with elements of art therapy and self-advocacy training. The women will also have one-on-one psychological, legal, and therapeutic support. At the end of the project, there will be family events in all nine towns for the women participating in the support group meetings, and those close to them.
120 abused women will be given real, comprehensive support – psychological, legal, and emotional support. The female participants will improve belief in themselves, their self-esteem, and their sense of agency and influence, and will form new relationships. Approximately 75 women will attend self-advocacy training and become involved in community life and further the rights and interests of women who suffer domestic abuse