Content Warning: This page contains references to gender-based violence. Some people may find this content distressing. Please take care while reading, and feel free to step away at any time if you need to.
Every year, the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence calls on people around the world to stand together to end violence against women and girls. At Phoenix, this issue is deeply connected to the women we support. More than 65% of the women in our residential services, many of them mothers, have experienced physical, emotional, or sexual violence. Drugs and alcohol have been a way to cope with these life-changing and debilitating experiences that no one should ever have to face.
During these 16 Days, this page will host resources, articles, and - with consent and compassion - survivor voices. We aim to raise awareness, challenge stigma, and encourage a culture where we are all slower to judge and quicker to understand.
The stats - A Fight for Access and Safety
At Phoenix, we know that behind every statistic is a real person with real experiences. The stories you are about to read have been shared and collected with care, compassion, and full consent. By listening to these experiences, we can challenge stigma, raise awareness, and better understand how to support survivors, reminding everyone that chage is possible.
This 16 Days, we are taking action to end the stigma that women, especially mothers, face when accessing support. To remove the barriers that stop women from accessing safe and supportive services. To stand with survivors and demand the services they deserve.