Responding to VAW Through Feminist Counselling

Feminist counselling is considered the most effective method in responding to violence as it builds the survivor’s capacity to address violence in a manner they deem suitable and practical. It goes beyond the individual and helps survivors connect to the outside world, navigate health systems and social and legal aid, and negotiate their space within society.

CEHAT has pioneered the health-systems response to violence through Dilaasa centres which are hospital-based departments responding to gender-based violence. Dilaasa uses the feminist counselling principles to provide survivors psycho-social support, temporary shelter facilities, and free legal as well as medical aid as required. The experiential learnings from Dilaasa and growing literature around feminist counselling strategies inform this course.

This course is open to all professionals, from state and non-state organisations, responding to gender-based violence but are not aware of the feminist counselling methodology. Participants may be teachers, researchers, or post graduate students from the disciplines of psychology and social work and allied disciplines, practising counsellors and Protection Officers under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.

Course Objectives

• Understanding violence against women and children as a public health issue
• Identifying the social and cultural determinants of VAW
• Learning the principles and values of feminist counselling and their application while engaging with survivors
• Equipping counsellors with skills to provide survivor psychosocial support
• Equipping counsellors to respond to special groups like children, intersex, sex workers, persons with disability
• Ensuring self care and prevention of burnout