ABSTRACT
The widely held belief that generic services such as shelters, social work and legal assistance are sufficient for women survivors of domestic violence and intimate partner violence is being challenged across the European Union. Feminist theory condemns the generic services model when dealing with cases of violence against women due to its gender-neutrality, emphasis on short-term risk reduction at the expense of women’s long-term safety, and failure to take into account a woman’s own strengths and ability to make relevant decisions in her life. The shifting paradigm introduces the Strength Based – Needs Led approach (SBNL) as more appropriately responding to the needs of survivors. In this chapter, we will look at feminist theory and practice, presenting and discussing the structural causes, dynamics and consequences of domestic and intimate partner violence and how the community response can hinder or facilitate a woman’s transition from victim to survivor, allowing posttraumatic growth. We will also briefly discuss the history and principles of the women’s movement to set up women’s-only help provision across Europe, including the transition from shelter/refuge services to community-based support and specialised complex help as well as the importance of adequate protection. We will present the key principles of the SBNL approach and how it offers women a collective voice that challenges oppressive power structures on both relational and societal levels.
