Reykjavík Grapevine - 14.07.2017, Page 16

A New Hope:
Meet the women fighting domestic violence
Words: Anisha Chandar
Photos: Subjects’ own
Iceland: a utopia for women, forged
by equality. In recent years, inter-
national surveys have consistently
named the country as the
best in the world in
which to be a wom-
an—yet reports
show that 25% of
Icelandic wom-
en have experi-
enced domes-
t ic v iolence.
Police have re-
corded bottles,
bricks and even a
bible amongst the
weapons used. Despite
making waves in the fight
for women's rights, dark issues
remain.
"He made me feel that it was my
fault. I started to I blame myself for
his behaviour. I was the trigger."
Guðrún found herself in an
abusive relationship when she was
eighteen years old. (Her name has
been changed for this article.) "I
thought I could handle the situ-
ation,” she reflects now, but af-
ter several trips to the emergency
room "someone stepped in to help
me, because I couldn't help myself.”
Since 2007, there have been al-
most 1,200 cases of domestic vio-
lence reported in the capital—78%
of the victims were female.
The Nordic paradox
“Women in Iceland have strong sta-
tus so it would be logical to think
that the rate of domestic violence
in the country isn't that high, but
it is,” Sigþrúður Guðmundsdót-
tir, the Director of Kvennaathvarf,
tells me. Kvennaathvarf is Iceland’s
first and only women’s shelter. Last
year, Sigþrúður and her team pro-
vided shelter for over 200 women
and children.
This is the “Nordic paradox”:
many are puzzled as to
why these countries
have among the
wor l d ’s h i g h -
est rates of re-
ported domes-
t i c v i o l en c e
despite lead-
ing the way in
gender equal-
ity. “I think the
old idea that the
man is in control
still has something to
do with it,” Sigþrúður says.
“There's a lot of men who have
problems with drugs, alcohol and
depression, but there is no excuse.
These men are not violent to their
co-workers; it's a lack of re-
spect for women.”
“I once met a col-
league from outside
of Iceland. He said,
how cou ld any-
one dare to hit an
Icelandic woman
because they are so
strong," Sigþrúður
continues. But being
“strong” has nothing to
do with it.
Supply and demand
Sigþrúður has been working at
the shelter for eleven years, and in
that time has seen the landscape
change dramatically.
“Demand for places in the shel-
ter has doubled over the last ten
years, but the number of people
calling us has remained the same.
The majority who call for coun-
selling are Icelandic,” she says.
Inside the women’s shelter, chil-
dren’s paintings cover the walls
and warm, bright colours try to
make this house a home.
Sigþrúður believes that more
needs to be done to support vic-
tims of abuse: “Historically, the
justice system has failed our wom-
en. There is always an excuse, and
abusers are not convicted, espe-
cially when they are well-known."
But she assures me that times are
changing.
Top of the agenda
In 2014, amongst other changes
to the police force, Sigríður Björk
Guðjónsdóttir was declared Rey-
kjavík Police Commissioner. For
over fifteen years, Sigríður has
served society to help deliver last-
ing impact.
"When I moved to Reykjavík, we
put domestic violence at the top
of the agenda,” Sigríður tells us.
“We reformed the system so that
we work much more closely with
social workers and experts to en-
sure that every case is investigated
fully.” Sigríður believes that this
will help to bring justice to those
affected by domestic violence.
"We have learnt that if we in-
vestigate a case in retrospect, the
whole scene has changed,” she
continues. “Now, we build a full
report for every case, carry out a
risk assessment, and take note of
what has happened there and then.
It means that we have evidence
to take things further in severe
cases when a victim may not wish
to press charges."
A new hope
Thanks to these reforms, more
people are seeking help. “Since we
have put the changes in place, we
have seen a notable increase in the
number of monthly cases that have
come to us—from twenty to fifty,”
Sigríður explains.
“But,” she clarifies, “there's al-
ways more we can do. The City of
Reykjavík has just opened a new
service centre for all victims of
abuse called Bjarkarhlíð. Here peo-
ple can get all the help they need,
it's a one-stop shop. We
also offer perpetrators
the opportunity to
get help.”
I a s k e d S i g-
ríður what advice
she would give for
those suffering in
silence. “It's easy to
think women should
just leave their abuser.
It's not easy. There may
be children involved, or
psychological issues at
play. People may not have a support
network. The key is to always seek
help. Talk to someone you trust,
call the police or call the shelter.
There is always hope.”
Call the Women’s Shelter hel-
pline on +354 561 1205 for infor-
mation and support at any hour.
16 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 12 — 2017
“Histori-
cally, the justice
system has failed
our women. There is
always an excuse, and
abusers are not con-
victed, especially
when they are
well-known.”
Sigþrúður Guðmundsdóttir, Kvennaathvarf
Kids paintings make this house a home
Sigríður Björk
Guðjónsdóttir
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