Survivor Storytelling & Leadership
In 2022, we launched our year-long storytelling pilot program that supported 16 South Asian survivors of gender-based violence to reclaim their stories for healing and change — for themselves and their communities.
“I imagine us breaking stereotypes of who and what survivors are and what survivorship looks like by putting our voices and stories out there.
I imagine taking up intentional space with our stories, and I imagine doing it together.“
- PROGRAM PARTICIPANT
Learn more about the Program &
read our Storytelling Zine “Woven Voices” below!
"It's really an honor to be part of this Zine and be able to help break that silence around GBV in general. I want us to be in a world where we can share these things openly if we choose to. Healing through storytelling is such a powerful thing and this Zine is contributing towards that collective healing around violence."
- PROGRAM PARTICIPANT
Why storytelling?
For too long silence, shame, and stigma have perpetuated a culture of violence and isolation. Despite 48% of South Asians in the US experiencing some form of GBV, data, stories, and research on GBV in the South Asian diaspora have remained scarce, with little to no dedicated spaces, to date, that support South Asian survivors in telling their stories.
Yet, movements like #MeToo have shown us that stories have the power to impact policy, shift culture, and, most importantly, support healing. One of SOAR's founding principles is to center survivors in our movement. We believe that survivors’ experiences and voices should lead practical, cultural, and systemic change towards joy, healing, and justice.
SOAR’s Survivor Storytelling Program is a step towards building collective leadership and healing of South Asian survivors to drive cultural and systemic change. By empowering South Asian survivors, we move towards a future free of violence for us all.
“I was reminded of the strength and divine wisdom each one of us holds as survivors.
The program was the first space where I shared and was affirmed of my childhood sexual traumas. I don’t take the gift of the space lightly.”
About the Program
SOAR’s year-long pilot program consisted of:
A four-week, trauma-informed Storytelling Workshop designed for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, in partnership with Women’s Justice NOW (WJN), the creators of My Story, My Terms (MSMT). Learn more here!
Ongoing monthly Story Circles for survivor leaders to continue working on their stories & channels for online engagement to sustain community-building
The creation of our Zine, “Woven Voices”, co-created by & featuring the stories of survivor leaders
Throughout the program, survivor leaders:
Built an intimate and trusting community with program facilitators and participants
Cultivated skills to write and communicate their stories, including learning about the underlying science of trauma and storytelling
Continued their healing journey through sharing their story and listening to others’ stories
Developed resilience and agency in learning and determining how and when to tell their stories for change
“It has meant so much to connect with other survivors working in this DV/SV sphere and create connections by sharing our writing together. I constantly think about the tidbits and stories of everyone in our Story Circles and it has helped me so much in processing my story and why I do the work that I do.”
What’s next?
Stay tuned for updates on our Survivor Storytelling & Leadership Program as our team works toward envisioning its future!
In the meantime, if you're interested in being a part of SOAR's Storytelling Program as a participant, facilitator, or something else, please fill out our Join the Movement form and tell us more!