Breaking the cycle of violence

Girls of Hope! Breaking the cycle of violence

As we prepare for our participants to go through our Girls of Hope! violence prevention program in the next coming weeks in El Salvador the conversations with our partners have largely centred on one thing; given that statistics tell us that violence perpetrated against girls and women is so rife throughout all areas of Salvadorean society and impact the lives of girls across all ages in one form or another, the question raised has been, how young is too young to begin talking about gender-based violence with girls in El Salvador?

In a society where women and girls are so frequently targeted and murdered based on their gender (Femicide), our goal is to reach girls through our program at an early enough age so that through education, providing them with tools and support we can raise their personal awareness and lower their risk and vulnerability to becoming victims to gender-based violence.

As we embark to distil and abolish the largely accepted notion that violence against women is ‘normal’, a view which exists across all areas of society including across both genders, we are aiming to break the cycle and patterns of abuse for the younger generations.

Generations impacted by Trauma

Violence has caused long-lasting damage in Salvadorean society and is now so prevalent and normalised that domestic violence has become interwoven into the identity of society. For many women and children the threat of violence sits just below the surface and its ripple effects are felt throughout everyday life.

What we see occurring in El Salvador today in regards to violence is the unfortunate result of previous generations of Salvadorean men and women raised in oppressive environments, many who have been severely impacted by developmental (childhood) trauma, abuse and/or neglect. Adding to the complexity of this issue is the unresolved trauma and post-traumatic stress carried by a large portion of the population as a direct result of the 1980’s civil war. A war which caused a catastrophic shift in an already poor and vulnerable society and one from which it has not recovered from.

Day to day this trauma outworks and presents itself as cycles of maladaptive and destructive behaviours in individuals attempting to deal with inner turmoil. Domestic violence within a society where machismo (excessive masculine aggression and pride) is glorified has played a big role in violence against women being normalised.

These repeated cycles of abuse and violence in the home have impacted and continue to negatively impact the younger generation and the next.

For young girls growing up in El Salvador today, the cycle of violence and abuse in the home creates an extremely dangerous environment and one which has long lasting effects. For young women and girls the result of extreme and prolonged psychological stress, trauma and abuse results in an inner brokenness which then increases their vulnerability for further abuse later in their life. Too often, femicide is the devastating end for many abused for girls and women in El Salvador.

“Domestic violence is the beginning [of feminicide] since women suffer domestic violence in silence,”

Arnau Baulenas - Human Rights Attorney, San Salvador, El Salvador.

Bringing the cycle of abuse into the light

One crucial way we can begin to tackle this issue is by placing value upon the woman and girl in El Salvador. When we increase the level of identity, value and self-worth in girls and empower them with education, we increase their level of personal choice and options despite the difficult circumstances they find themselves in.

We are addressing this issue head on by creating a safe space where young girls can engage in this conversation and a place where intervention and prevention can occur for young girls who may or are being victimised.

Our Girls of Hope! curriculum is crucial and relevant to Salvadorean girls’ lives as they enter their adolescence. Our six-week program covers topics on healthy and unhealthy relationships, ‘red flags’ and the warning signs of mental, emotional and physical abuse and the incredibly important component on ‘Our body clues’ which we use to help girls understand how our bodies can help to alert us and helps us discern dangerous situations or when something isn’t right.

By investing in girls lives we are challenging the often inherited mindsets about what abuse and violence is and giving them preventative tools that will help them to recognise the early warning signs of abuse in all relationships, including those with peers, parents, teachers, neighbours and strangers. We feel privileged to be able to lead these precious girls on a journey of discovering their Worth, Value, Dignity and Truth.

Since the launch of our program, we have now added another location to our rollout in October. We will be now running the program in the regions of Soyapango and Apopa. Both these locations are widely known for the level of violence in these communities.

Our participants are ready! We would value your prayers for safety and protection over our team and participants over the next two months!

Every child is precious and has a right to feel safe, secure and to live in a fairer world.

We can all help make a difference!