Recognizing the work to end gender-based violence began with the voices, efforts, and labor of survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence, and that survivors are the ones who, through telling their stories and amplifying their voices, can best guide the work of professionals – the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance supported the development of the V.O.I.C.E.S. Leadership Council.
V.O.I.C.E.S.: Victim/Survivor Opportunities to Impact Change by Elevating our Stories is…
- Space where victims/survivors of DV/SV learn, grow, stretch, and share their experiences with others
- Dedicated space to write and rewrite our stories
- A community to contribute to each others’ revisions
- A supportive network to help lift those stories off the page.
The Council was established in 2021 to grow the leadership voices of survivors, build on the advocacy and organizing skills of survivors, and to offer guidance to the development of training and policy initiatives of the Action Alliance. In the past 4 years, VOICES has contributed to the inclusion of survivor voices in numerous statewide and local workshops, keynotes and DV related events, and policy.
Council members receive ongoing support in their journey as they learn new skills in storytelling, understanding the societal and cultural roots of sexual and intimate partner violence, how services in VA are implemented, and how to influence change that leads to support for all survivors.
Members recently contributed to a Collective Impact Poem to illustrate how VOICES has contributed to their own growth and healing as well as to those who’ve had the opportunity to hear their voices, their truths…
Extending the Invitation
I had a voice…
before the abuse
before the audience
before the platform
before doors were opened that I’d never been invited to walk through until now.
I had a voice that wasn’t invited to the table.
I now have a voice…
that is stronger
that is more resilient
that is a rainbow after a storm
that sounds like a more healed version of myself.
I now have a voice…
that is braver
that honors my lived experience
that is a beacon of hope
that offers me radical affirmation.
I now have a voice…
that channels my lived experience into systemic change
that unmutes the voices of others
that is a tool for collective liberation
that is a true and triumphant testimony
I now have a voice that is present at the table.
As a collective voice, we are…
strategists
truth tellers
change agents
bridge builders
As a collective voice, we are…
narrative shifters and accountability pushers
justice workers
challengers of assumptions in training rooms
bringers of raw truth into policy
As a collective voice, we are living, surviving examples of what can be when the voices of those most impacted by violence are centered at the work of ending it.
As a collective voice, we are living, thriving examples of what this world can be.
As a collective voice, we are a choir.
We now have a voice that sings at the head of the table.
And we are saving a sacred seat for your story, your voice, too.
To connect about inviting V.O.I.C.E.S. to your table, please direct speaking engagement opportunities to: voicesleadershipcouncil@gmail.com
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