The Judge
“We see a lot of trifling matters here at the same time as other victims don’t even report serious crimes such as incest.”
Who: Paloma Mari
What: Is a judge in one of Spain’s specialised courts for violence against women.
The Course Leader
“I can’t un-do what happened to Maggie, but I can decide what I’m going to do with my life. The same is true of everyone who takes my courses.”
Who: Susan Omilian
What: Works with abused women who want to thrive.
The Project for Equality
“Damaging women is like killing the roots of the tree.”
Who: Mathilde Muhindo
What: Former parliamentarian who runs a project to promote equality in villages in South Kivu.
The Activist
“We lesbians are not seen as either women or men.”
Who: Kunu Semake
What: Works for the Lesbian and Gay Equality Project, and runs her own youth club.
The Psychologists
“When I started working I was naive, and my aim was to have families reunited.”
Who: Elena Zolotilova and Tatiana Pavlova
What: Fighting to open the city’s first women’s shelter.
The Night Patrol
“I never think about tomorrow. I think about what’s happening now.”
Who: Ahmed Samy Ali and Khaled Abo-El Fadl.
What: Social workers who seek out street children.
In the front of the vehicle there are some seats and a table. On the table is a notebook. At the back of the bus there is an open space with a pile of newspapers in a corner.
The Home For Young Mothers
“When the girls begin to think about the future, about what they will do when they leave here, then we can stop worrying.”
Who: Abrigo Rainha Silvia
What: Offers protection to young women who are pregnant and victims of violence.
The Radio Presenter
“The media are hugely important because what we don’t show doesn’t exist.”
Who: Martha Gomez
What: Journalist who for the last seven years has been broadcasting Tolerancia Cero (“Zero Tolerance”) a radio programme about violence against women.
The School for Fathers
“The most important thing is that the men don’t need to feel they are alone with their questions, feelings and expectations.”
Who: Sergey Zakharow
What: Child psychologist who holds courses for fathers-to-be.
The Instructors
“We help the helpless to be able to manage on their own.”
Who: LAV (Laissez l’ Afrique Vivre)
What: Offers support and vocational training to young people - rape victims, child soldiers and street children.
Eight young women sit bent over their treadle sewing machines. They have learned how to thread the machine and pump the treadle at the right speed to sew evenly and safely. Their first task is to sew a straight seam on a piece of paper.
The Lawyer
“Sometimes I sit in the courtroom and hold her hand, or stroke her back. I don’t want her to feel she is alone.”
Who: Susanne Croné-Morell
What: Is the victim’s own lawyer – the plaintiff’s lawyer.