The terms victim and survivor of gender-based violence refer to people who suffer from this type of violence. However, the word survivoremphasizes the person’s strength to survive the violence and overcome said situation.
Many organizations that work with survivors of gender-based violence assert that victim contributes to the idea that people who suffer from this type of violence do not have power or autonomy. Instead, they prefer survivor as it centres on a person’s control over their own story beyond their role as a victim.
Yet, victim is the term used in national and international rights instruments as it is the legal term used to refer to someone who has suffered from a crime. It focuses on the crime itself and not the crucial process of the person who suffered from it.
Photo credit: Jacob Lund