This month as we talk about freedom I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the freedoms I have. Freedom of speech, education, self-expression. Freedom to work where I choose. Freedom to dress as I choose.
These freedoms, though they may seem universal to citizens of the United States, are often obstructed by domestic abuse. 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of [some form of] physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime. Generally, by the time physical violence occurs, multiple instances on the power and control wheel below have already been put into place. Abuse is not simply physical violence, it is a pattern of power and control.
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We each have the right to be safe, to choose our work, to choose our education, to choose how we handle finances, parenting, and our own bodies. But not all of us have the freedom to do so in our daily lives. Which brings me to another thing I am grateful for: you. Your support of the Women’s and Children’s Alliance helps our clients achieve safety, healing, and freedom from domestic abuse and sexual assault. You help us provide the freedom for clients to put their past behind them and begin anew.
*Though this wheel uses gendered language, abuse can happen across all gender identities.
The Compassion Project is a monthly column by Emily Fascilla, Philantropy Specialist for the Women’s and Children’s Alliance.
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