“My father beat me with his belt that day. I was six years old and I walked out through the door and never went back.”
Nur, Cairo, Egypt

The Mothers

“Why didn’t the police show me the whole of my daughter’s body, just a left foot which was sticking out?”


Who:
Rosaura Montañez
What: Member of a network of mothers who have lost daughters. 

Araceli disappeared on the 30th of June 1995 and was found four days later on a refuse tip on the southern outskirts of the city. She had been raped and strangled. She was 19 years old. No-one has been found guilty of her murder.


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 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 Lawyer

“I hope to go to court with my own mother one day, but she doesn’t want to. Not yet.”                    


Who:
Valentina Frolova
What: Lawyer at the Crisis Center for Women in St Petersburg.


The men’s movement

“Violence is about control. It’s the loss of control that triggers violence.”  


Who:
Alexander Gogolkin
What: Leads M21, which works both for greater gender equality, and with the treatment of violent men.  


The Radio Station

We’re going to start a discussion about women’s rights in our area.


Who:
Rádio Mulher um Ambiente Comunitário
What:
Broadcast local radio for women in the favela, about women’s problems. 


The Plastic Surgeon

“First it’s about saving lives. Then we can start to repair.”   


Who
: Muhammad Mughese Amin
What:
Operates on victims of honour crimes who have been burned by acid or mutilated.


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 Men's Group

“It annoys me that people keep asking ‘Why doesn’t she leave?’ People seem to want to lay the blame on the woman, when the only valid question is - Why does he hit her?”


Who:
Sara Brammer
What:
Psychologist who treats violent men.


Transit and Safety House

The women are so keen to learn.”


Who:
Maison Dorcas
What:
Help Panzi Hospital’s patients who have been the victims of violence to make the transition back into society.


The Support Person

“Those four months changed my life.”


Who:
Paulina Bengtson
What:
Runs Novahuset, a voluntary association which supports victims of sexual assault.

“Actually, I had a feeling straight away that something was wrong. He looked like someone from the Mafia, not at all as gentle as he’d seemed. But I was gullible and ignored my own warning signals. I was used to trusting people.”