Art therapy helps Kharkiv residents improve their knowledge of gender-based violence

Rokada GBV psychologist Dariia Matiunina brought Kharkiv residents together for an art workshop to help them better recognise signs of gender-based violence and understand their own self-worth.

Participants worked with colour not only to release emotional tension but also to discuss, in a sensitive way, the risks of gender-based violence and how to seek support in difficult life situations.

“Art therapy is a tool that makes it possible to work with the topic of GBV without re-traumatisation. Through creativity, a person becomes aware of their own boundaries and resources more easily than through a direct conversation, which often provokes resistance or shame. This is especially important for older people, who rarely have experience of discussing such issues openly,” explains Dariia Matiunina.

The project is implemented by the Rokada Charitable Foundation with the support of Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo (AICS) in partnership with the Bukovinian Agency for Initiatives and Development (BAID) and Un Ponte Per ETS (UPP).