What is Building Equality?
Financial dependence can be one of the largest factors in preventing a woman from leaving an abusive relationship and therefore to become financially independent, opens up many more options for a woman’s future and self-determination.
I, and my colleague Eleni MacLean, had the privilege of working in the Building Equality Project, a three year employability pilot project funded by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership by Edinburgh Women’s Aid and Shakti Women’s Aid.
Building Equality aimed to support service users from both organisations towards a path into paid work by offering group work activities and 1:1 support. However, we took an approach that was so much more than CVs and application forms! Weekly group work topics were user-led from the start, responding to participants’ suggestions and offering a sense of ownership and control over the process. Over the course of a few months, the idea of writing a book began to develop. The women wanted their voices heard and they recognised in each other their shared creative potential.
“I had been hiding in the dark. My life was like a bag of dark stones, with only one that sparkled and suddenly with the group work I was able to realise I could be the one to sparkle.”
The poems inside us all…
Building Equality secured funding from The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and City of Edinburgh Council’s “Promoting Access to Arts and Culture Fund” to support the book project and offer an opportunity to the women, who may otherwise have experienced significant barriers to engaging with arts organisations. These barriers could include: cost; language; confidence or perceived relevance to their lives.
The Scottish Poetry Library came on board to facilitate poetry writing workshops and the women found their voices. Leena Nammari facilitated workshops in art and printmaking (to illustrate the book) and two more poets, Jenny Lindsay and Nadine Jassat, also contributed poetry writing sessions. The participants developed in confidence, tapping previously hidden potential and learning new skills along the way such as writing, storytelling, printmaking and presentation skills. Additionally, they learnt how to develop and market their work.
“We are all different ladies – like flowers. Some are fresh, some dry, some colourful, some not bloomed yet. Each session we weave a beautiful garland.”
Survivors’ voices
Finally, here are some of the women speaking about the project themselves:
“I had been hiding in the dark. My life was like a bag of dark stones, with only one that sparkled and suddenly with the group work I was able to realise I could be the one to sparkle.”
“It is the only time in the week I feel normal.”
“It has been crucial to my recovery to meet other women and share our experiences.”
“I have a greater sense of worth and value. It has been a big factor in helping me to move forward.”
“It was the only chance I had to come out of a stressed life and meet other people who have experienced similar pain.”
“We are all different ladies – like flowers. Some are fresh, some dry, some colourful, some not bloomed yet. Each session we weave a beautiful garland.”
“I never knew I could write such a beautiful poem!”
The final book, “When Women Speak I Hear…” was launched at the Scottish Poetry Library in April 2019 and is available to buy here.
Jan Ferguson is the Employability Coordinator at Building Equality which has been nominated for the Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize.