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Stories of GBV Survivors

історії насильства

This page is a living archive of stories shared by survivors of gender-based violence. Every year, as part of the international campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence,” which runs from November 25 to December 10, we offer a space for anyone who wishes to speak about their experiences.

In a society where victim-blaming and the justification of perpetrators prevail, women and queer people are often not believed, and their voices are silenced. We collect these stories to challenge stigma, help survivors feel less alone and isolated, and raise awareness about gender-based violence.

We are grateful to everyone who has shared their story with our community and us. We stand in solidarity with everyone who has experienced violence, and we see and acknowledge your pain as well as your strength and resilience. Please know that you are not alone, and you are not to blame for what happened.

If you are the author of a story published on this website and wish to have it removed, please contact us at fem.bilkis@gmail.com

illustration @my_pet_spider

1

When I was 16, I had a complicated situation in my family

2

I always found my own fault in what happened

3

I was 17 years old, and I was walking to university

4

When I was 15, I was traveling alone for the first time by train to another city

5

I always loved my father, from early childhood

6

It happened in the Carpathians, near one of the sanatorium buildings

7

In my third year of studies at [the university], I missed many classes because of work

8

My dad, when I was a child/teenager, always told me to change clothes in front of him

9

When i was in the hospital, i met a guy, i thought he was about 18

10

I was probably about 17. I was buying sweets

11

I don’t know if this is considered violence, but…

12

I was walking back to my dorm at midnight

13

All my childhood, I was told that I looked like my father

14

I was 13 years old. An ordinary day. As I was leaving the building, I ran into my neighbor

15

I was waiting for a class at music school with a friend (a girl) and a boy

16

I was 17, in grade 11. Even then I already had some struggles with my mental health: bulimia, depression

17

Since I was 9 years old, I was sexually abused by a man my grandma lived with

18

When I was at school, around grade 8, my classmates attacked me and started groping

19

Being a little girl, around 10-12 years old, my grandpa touched my genitalia

20

One time, it was Teacher's Day, my classmate and I, and several other students were given a task to congratulate a male teacher

21

When I was 12, my friend and I were returning from an art class

22

I was visiting my grandma. I was 5

23

When I used to live in a dorm, our common shower was located in the boys' block of the dorm

24

As a teen, I had a boyfriend, and we dated for two weeks, after which I realized that I didn’t want a relationship with that person, so we broke up

25

This is a story of a traumatic, crazy relationship

26

Three years ago, I was walking through a badly-lit underground crossing

27

One late evening, I stood at a bus stop alone

28

Anytime I would hear stories about violence, I imagined that it was so horrible that it was impossible to survive

29

I was riding my bicycle

30

I don’t remember much, because my childhood memories are “locked away”

31

I was in my early twenties — not quite an adult yet, but incredibly inspired

32

Honestly, I don’t know whether gender or sexual orientation was the reason for what happened, but I do know this: somehow, those people found out that I am a lesbian

33

When you deny your own identity in an attempt to live the “life of a normal woman,” you may end up putting yourself through a kind of self-imposed conversion therapy

34

I have always been around the arts: contests, art school, and lyceum

35

I have always leaned toward masculinity in my self-presentation, but I didn’t realize how negatively society treats masculine women without any clear reason

36

About 8 years ago, my dorm neighbor, who studied sociology, asked me for an interview

37

Reproductive coercion is a form of gender-based violence that people refuse to recognize

38

A few years ago, I was in a prolonged depressive episode, which was caused, among other things, by harassment from a friend and a former partner (at the same time, they teamed up)

39

This happened after my student years. I was walking home after a concert of my favorite band — happy, with shining eyes

40

When my boyfriend’s parents moved to their summer house for the season, I was practically living at his place

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