«I felt free. Free to express emotions and to throw out all the bad things I was holding inside».
To escape gender-based violence and regain serenity and freedom, it is often necessary for some women to move to protected places. But what is the value, for those who have survived violence, of having a safe space and being able to openly tell their feelings?
As part of the MARIPOSA project, a group of women survivors of gender-based violence, currently staying at three shelters in the province of Palermo, met to tell their testimonies. They all spoke of a renewed sense of freedom, sharing powerful and intense emotions.
The activities focused on the two tools developed as part of the MARIPOSA project, namely:
- “Me and My Resources”, designed to support women survivors of gender-based violence to identify their resources and set goals for the future
- “EmpowerME,” which aims to foster reflection on coping mechanisms and emotions with the goal of encouraging empowerment.
According to the participants, the meetings were «important experiences to reflect and also to support other women who are in [their] same situation». Some of them pointed out that, through the use of symbols, they were able to communicate and bring out emotions they had been holding inside for a long time.
«Initiatives like these spur new feelings and create new spaces for reflection but also for joy and fun, as well as safe spaces in which to take new steps forward, toward their new lives».
MARIPOSA tools are free and available on the project website https://mariposaproject.eu/online-tools/ in English, Spanish, German, Italian, Greek, French and Romanian.
The first meeting promoted by MARIPOSA among women victims of violence was held in May 2023, but many other activities and moments of discussion will be held as part of the project. Follow us to learn about upcoming events or contact Francesca Conti: francesca.conti@cesie.org.
About the project
MARIPOSA is funded by the Erasmus + Programme, Key Action 2 – Cooperation partnerships in Adult education.
Partners
- Asociacion Caminos (Spain, coordinator)
- Asociatia Habilitas (Romania)
- GeSoB (Society for Social Research and Education) (Austria)
- CESIE (Italy)
- ELAN INTERCULTUREL (France)
- EDRA (Greece)
For further information
Read more about MARIPOSA visit the website https://mariposaproject.eu/
Contact Francesca Conti: francesca.conti@cesie.org.
