Centering Domestic Violence Survivors: A Commitment This Domestic Violence Awareness Month

The Importance of Centering Survivors

In order to center survivors, we must make them the central focus of our efforts. Every program, policy, and outreach effort should take survivors’ experiences into account. This isn’t just a theoretical exercise; it is a practical necessity.

The lived experiences of survivors can help us identify the real barriers they face while addressing their needs. They have navigated the complexities of their situations and may be able to provide insight that professionals may have overlooked. A supportive system that empowers survivors is created when survivors are at the center of it.

Centering on Survivor Voices

Survivors of domestic violence have a unique insight into the challenges they face and the support they need. It is imperative that we engage survivors in meaningful dialogue to develop strategies, policies, and practices. It means creating spaces where survivors feel safe to express their stories and insights—spaces that honor their experiences and validate their feelings.

Organizing focus groups, workshops, speaking opportunities, and community forums can facilitate this engagement. These platforms allow survivors to articulate their needs and shape services designed to support them. By actively listening to their voices, we can ensure our efforts are relevant and effective.

Centering Survivors in Meaningful Partnerships

To create meaningful change, we must engage in genuine partnerships with survivors by involving them in every aspect of our work—from program design to policy advocacy. Here are a few ways we can foster these partnerships:

• By forming survivors-only committees or councils, organizations can gain invaluable insight. These committees can shape decision-making processes, incorporating survivors’ perspectives into every initiative.
• Focus groups and listening sessions allow survivors to share their experiences and needs; these sessions will help organizations understand survivors’ barriers and how to address them.
• Involving survivors in creating upcoming programs through brainstorming sessions and implementation processes can help shape relevant and accessible services.

Centering on Continuous Improvement

Survivor-centering is not a one-time initiative. It must be a continuous process. This requires regular assessments and realignments of our approaches. We have a responsibility to ensure that our work reflects survivors’ changing needs and can be achieved through ongoing assessment and realignment of our practices. Here are some suggestions on how to maintain this focus.

• Ask yourself two questions: “Are we truly listening to survivors?” or “Are their needs being met?” The more we ask these two questions, the more likely our efforts will remain impactful and aligned with the needs of survivors, families, and those experiencing domestic violence.
• Utilize regular surveys and feedback tools to gain insight from survivors about services and keep our approaches to ending gender-based violence effective.

Centering survivors also means collaborating with them as equal partners in the work we do. For more ways you can center survivors in your work or network, visit our partner the Domestic Violence Awareness Project (DVAP) for ideas.

This blog is part of a blog series for Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). Be sure to read part one of the series, Four Ways to Help Survivors or Victims Heal this Domestic Violence Awareness Month,  or part two of the series, Holding Space: Three Ways to Support Domestic Violence Survivors, and other ways you can support survivors during DVAM and beyond.