What I Mean When I Say Survivor
Advocating for immigrant women’s futures & the Violence Against Women Act
Challenge
More than one out of every three women and girls will suffer physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. Deeply entrenched sentiments of racism, islamophobia, misogyny, and anti-immigration have recently intensified throughout the United States, which has further increased the risks for immigrant and undocumented women and girls to domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, and other violent crimes. Abusers often use immigration status to intimidate and control victims, ensuring that they will be too afraid to seek help or call police.
Our partners wanted a dynamic way to focus on the specific populations of immigrant women that are often missing from conversations, while supporting a way for these women to control their own narrative and representation. The desire was to bring these two needs together to create dynamic communications to mobilize partners and Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 2019.
Trusted Partners: Tahirih Justice Center, Sanctuary for Families
Response
Resistance Communications worked with partners to craft a campaign and collaboratively design media that told the story of a diverse range of women immigrant survivors of domestic violence and the lifesaving role that the Violence Against Women Act played in supporting their safety and independence.
We worked with women through a specifically designed process where they controlled how they were represented, and designed compelling graphic posters that showed the powerful reality of their multiple identities and truths, and the role that VAWA played in helping them to feel safe, access services, and move beyond a single identity as a survivor of violence. Women saw new possibilities for themselves and their families as a result of the chance to be heard, to be seen, to be safe, and to begin the healing journey. This media supports partner organizations in advocating for the reauthorization of VAWA and challenging how the American public views immigrant women.
Impact
Through this project, a series of graphic posters with participating women was created for partners to use in future campaigns (as the Senate introduction of VAWA has been delayed until further notice).