Advocacy Illustrated by Shelter Workers do Against Structural Violence
Structural Violence
Systematically exerted violence that operates to reinforce power differentials
Everyone belonging to a certain social order
Occurs indirectly and creates or sustains oppressive socioeconomic conditions, inequality and inequities through structured factors
Fosters structural factors
Shelters try to reduce the effect of structural violence on women's lives
They too experience oppressive structural processes evident through lack of resources, insufficient services for women
Women are allotted to stay for 6-8 weeks in a shelter
Limited time to accomplish everything these women need
Shelter workers try to advocate at critical points to help them get the supports they need
Women Shelters are not a mental health facility
However, shelter workers still let women with mental illness into the shelter because there is no where else for them to go
When these women arrive or become mentally unstable then the shelter workers try and make other accommodations for them
These workers may not have the proper training to deal or treat someone with mental illness
Find a program or facility that can properly treat these women
A place that meets their current important needs
Women living in rural areas
Shelter workers travel great distances to meet with women
Shelter workers going to the women to provide services and resources
These communities rarely have any public transport
Getting women to a shelter or providing out-of-shelter support services to women requires extensive and costly travel, consuming more resources
Extending the allotted stay time and remaining at capacity
Even if there is no suspected IPV
Having a broad mandate- there is no other place for them to go
Shelter workers providing child programming
There is zero funding to implement this programming
Shelter workers helping women to provide proof of their abuse
Without proof, women may not get the support or resources they need
Shelter workers helping these women emotionally
Counteracting the emotions created by wear and tear on vulnerable women's psyches
Encouraging women to keep moving forward despite setbacks
Shelter workers having an advocacy role
Shelter workers resisting system level abuse
This is an important part of their work
Women and children being stripped of their assests
Shelter workers interpreting system contradictions
Two support systems not working together
Reading and understanding the supports to avoid the contradicitons
Shelter workers can describe what proof the women need
Getting a job, home, financial stability, basic necessities
Explaining their situation further, the reasons they need these supports (no family, no money, children involved, etc.)
Depression, anxiety, no self-worth, etc.
It can get better, use the supports given to you
Bus, taxis
With the numerous children in shelters, the works want to have programming for them