On August 13th, the CEMPROC Team led a workshop on how to prevent and manage conflict at a shelter for women in Quito’s neighbourhood of “Las Casas.” Although the workshop was open to women that have experienced any sort of gender-based violence (either currently or in the past), the group of participants was composed of eight women from Colombian and Haitian backgrounds, mostly mestizo and Afro in ethnicity, who have been victims of human trafficking.
After the two and a half hour workshop was complete, a couple of the women were kind enough to provide us with their comments and opinions on what they had learned or taken away from the workshop. As Lucia* mentioned, “this workshop has helped me realize that I am very competitive when it comes to dealing with conflict – I need to act in a more cooperative manner instead.” Additionally, another participant commented on the importance of dealing with conflicts in time, “I learned that conflicts should be handled in time, before they escalate.” While the women have had to face different life experiences, they all seem to have one thing in common – the determination to move forward with their family and loved ones.
The success of this workshop has motivated the CEMPROC team to continue fortifying its relationship with Fundacion Esperanza and together, they are currently working to develop and implement a workshop on self-care for the staff, in order to further meet the needs of the women who seek refuge at the shelter.
Stay tuned!
*Names have been changed to protect the privacy and anonymity of the workshop’s participants.
Read more about Fundacion Esperanza’s work on their website!
Conflict Transformation Across Borders 