Changing the lives of girls in Ecuador through gender-based violence services

Sandra is a 43-year-old mother of African descent living in Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador. Sandra had many difficulties raising her 13-year-old daughter, Lucía. They didn’t have a good relationship and Sandra could not understand her daughter’s aggressive behavior, isolation, and sadness. A friend told her to take Lucía to CEPAM-G given that they have helped many women she knows. 

It was in January 2023 when Sandra sought help from the counseling team at CEPAM-G, an organization that has supported survivors of gender based-violence for more than three decades. 

The psychologist detected that Lucía had been a victim of sexual abuse by her paternal grandfather two years ago. Sandra was shocked to hear that her daughter had been going through this all alone, but she was relieved to finally understand the reasons behind her daughter’s behaviors. Sandra knew that what happened to her daughter was rape and it must be punished. She decided to accompany her daughter, and they both continued with psychological help. CEPAM-G’s team activated measures according to the processes of care and legal advice. 

Throughout this process, Sandra noticed a significant change in Lucía’s behavior. She was no longer suicidal and her relationships with Sandra and her siblings had improved. Sandra had never blamed her daughter for what had happened, but she understood why her daughter might have thought that. Now that Sandra knew what had happened, she was able to build a relationship of trust with her daughter. 

Lucía’s father never appeared, leaving Sandra to handle this process alone. Sandra knew that she didn’t want her daughter’s paternal grandfather to rape other people, particularly young girls. She wants to ensure that justice is served for her daughter and for the other girls who might be victims of her daughter’s grandfather. 

Through the accompaniment of the team, Sandra and Lucía are learning to overcome this hard experience and relate better. They have reconciled their relationship and they are now able to enjoy each other’s company and even have fun together, which was not possible before. 

Sandra is grateful for the support she received from CEPAM-G and is committed to being there for her daughter through this difficult time. She knows that it won’t be easy, but with their continued effort, they can overcome this hard experience and grow stronger as a family.  

Like Sandra, dozens of women and girls have been supported through the Feminist Futures Free from Violence project implemented by Fòs Feminista and its partners in different countries in Latin America and funded by Global Affairs Canada. The project started in 2022 and is changing the lives of women and girls, not only those who have been victims of abuse, but also those who live in vulnerable situations through a diversity of activities such as prevention strategies, training of professionals and advocacy.