Celebration of the Elimination of Violence against Women

This year, Good Shepherd Centre had a 3-day program in the celebration of the Elimination of Violence Against Women Day which was fell on 25^th of November. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, residents and their children had to be divided into groups of less than 10 participants for each session.

During those days, a series of presentation on the Elimination of Violence was shown to the residents to educate them on the matter. It was followed by an open discussion on what violence meant to them. In order to commemorate the event, a meditation was done as a means of eliminating their own pain.

The spontaneity and openness during the sharing between the residents evidently showed that a safe space has been created. It is hard for a person most especially for the victims to tell their own story or their thoughts because of their fear of being blamed, judged or misunderstood. Being able to voice out is just one of the characteristics of some of our residents who is slowly able to pick themselves up from the misery that they were in. It is a simple act of bravery and humility. The residents’ insights on the topic has a huge impact, though unknowingly, both to themselves and the others. Jessie (not her real name) shared that violence was not good and it did not show love. Her perception of a violent person is someone who is uneducated. She strongly believed that an educated person would not be influenced by violence and through education, an educated person would learn to be respectful of others. Julie(not her real name)  however, had different views on the topic. To her, education had nothing to do with violence, as she felt that family and childhood upbringing is a great factor. One of the youngest minds in the group also voiced that violence sounds bad, and in general, it greatly affected a person’s psychological and physical health. The last sharing came in as a surprise as it was something opposite of what had been shared by the mothers. Our 15-year-old teen’s sharing was that she saw that violence could be used in a positive manner. The recent movement “Black Lives Matter” was for her a good example of how to stand up to counteract violence.

At the last part of the program, a moment of meditation on body scan was prepared for the residents to practice. This program is a means to guide residents in getting rid of their own pain and suffering by channelling all their negativity into a handmade paper-lotus and releasing it into the water as a symbol of acceptance of their experience and letting it go. The activity gave them a chance to focus on themselves and to feel their stresses located in their bodies. These practices also help them to be more aware of their feelings and manage them in a way that is not destructive. The residents found the meditation relaxing and fulfilling and the paper lotus along with the process involved was unique and definitely executed creatively. By continuing to help educate our women and children on their rights to be free from any form of abuse, a teaching on folding paper lotus was taught. May Ling (not her real name) shared that having the knowledge of folding the lotus is practical, as at any point in time when she needed to release her stress and frustration, she could use this lotus and release it in a bowl of water anywhere convenient to her.

Written by:

Ms Brenda Lee

Social Service Assistant

Good Shepherd Centre

Singapore