Hands Reaching Out: Support Group
August 10, 2007
JAGORI support group for women survivors of violence
The JAGORI support group for women survivors of violence has been running since July 2005. The group was set up with the following objectives:
• to meet other women who have faced or who are facing violence within their relationships;
• to find a common place to put their thoughts and feelings about their violence into words; and
• to get inspiration, strength and support from one another in their struggles.
Support group meetings are held once every two months in the JAGORI office. The number of participants varies from 25-45 women. Ages of support group members vary from 16 to about 60, with an average of about 35 years. These women come from very different backgrounds, lower to middle to upper middle class, lettered and unlettered, women working both inside and outside their homes. The professions of the support group members include domestic workers, housewives, students, teachers and office-based workers.
In principle, the support group consists of women survivors of violence. The kinds of violence include: sexual harassment at the workplace, child sexual abuse, women living with HIV/AIDS, women facing homophobia, domestic violence, rape or sexual harassment in public places. Women supporters (who have helped women or girls facing violence) too are welcome at support group meetings.
Sessions are planned around specific themes and cover issues such as personal reflections on self and space, gender and law, strategies to counter violence against women and girls, laws like the Domestic Violence Act and how it can help women and women and safety. Meetings are invariably interwoven with women’s personal sharing of their struggles, some with positive results, others negative. Tears and laughter form an integral part of each meeting. To this, when one adds singing, dancing and painting, each meeting takes on a life of its own! For instance, in the last meeting in July 2007, the support group was guided through a painting session. They worked with three media: paper, cloth and one wall of the counselling room in JAGORI. The room is now adorned with vibrant and colourful wall art! It is a constant reminder of women’s ability to rise above the pain they have faced and colour their own lives in bright hues.
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