\u201cViolence begins when a person is no longer seen as whole\u2014as someone with potential, as an equal,\u201d says Sergo Ayvazyan, a participant in the \u201cIn Her Shoes\u201d project simulation game.<\/p>\n
The \u201cIn her shoes\u201d project aims to shift community perceptions about violence against women and girls by using the powerful tool of behavioral simulation as an educational and awareness-raising method.<\/p>\n
“The simulation, among other cases of violence, also addresses the case of violence against a woman with a disability, highlighting her particularly vulnerable situation and the difficulties in finding solutions. The exercise allows participants to ‘put themselves in her shoes,\u2019 <\/em>\u00a0” added the training coordinator Narine Asatryan.<\/p>\n During the exercise, Sergo explored a case involving a woman with a disability who had experienced violence. He highlighted a crucial and often overlooked dimension\u2014violence is not only physical. When someone\u2019s voice isn\u2019t heard, when their opinion is ignored, when they\u2019re constantly cast in the role of the one who needs help\u2014that, too, is systemic violence.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the simulation, no one saw the woman as someone capable of making independent choices or taking responsibility. Her surroundings\u2014her husband, the priest, the psychologist\u2014they all made decisions for her. They told her to stay quiet, to endure, to adapt. No one asked, \u2018What do \u201cyou<\/strong>\u201d want?\u2019 The exercise showed how society\u2014from close relatives to professionals\u2014often fails to distinguish between support and help. And this distinction is what determines whether a person ends up feeling like a victim, or reclaims their agency.<\/p>\n Whether someone has a disability or not, guidance must be right, and help must be targeted.\u201d<\/p>\n Sergo emphasized that, in real life, people with disabilities are often the ones expected to yield, to remain silent, to be patient. Society excuses this with words like compassion and endurance, but in reality, it creates a space where violence is tolerated.<\/p>\n \u201cSociety is not ready for true inclusion, yet we put all the responsibility on people with disabilities\u2014to integrate, to adjust. But the real question is: \u201cAre we<\/u><\/strong> ready to accept, to listen, to understand?\u201d<\/p>\n This experience became a turning point\u2014not just a case analysis, but a mirror reflecting how harmful messages are often delivered even by professionals, due to a lack of knowledge about the specific realities of people with disabilities. And it is precisely this lack of understanding that often leaves survivors without real solutions.<\/p>\n \u201cUntil every voice is heard, no one is truly protected,\u201d he concluded, stressing the importance of safe spaces and the need for ongoing conversations like this one.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This initiative is carried out by OxYGen Foundation in the framework of the \u201cEU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence\u201d programme (phase 2), funded by the European Union, implemented jointly by UN Women and UNFPA.<\/em><\/p>\n This article was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of UN Women and UNFPA and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cViolence begins when a person is no longer seen as whole\u2014as someone with potential, as an equal,\u201d says Sergo Ayvazyan, a participant in the \u201cIn Her Shoes\u201d project simulation game….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":9463,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[107],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-9476","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-articles"},"yoast_head":"\n