A Women’s Sanctuary

The elimination of violence against women and gender disparity will remain out of reach as long as structural sexism persists. All the while, we must fight for the causes of women, which are long overdue.

Fear of change and comfort in a predictable environment are two of the main reasons women return to their abuser after seeking help. Uprooting her own life and, if she has dependent children, the life of her family can seem scarier than her former unsafe situation. When creating spaces that offer a new beginning for survivors, designers need to focus on easing this transition.

Unfortunately, Shelters are not a long-term solution for recovery. After 120 days, shelters usually end, and women must return to the trauma of transitional housing, away from the shelter’s services and support system.

As a project, the Women’s Sanctuary serves as a model for women to see that they can live independently. Unlike traditional shelters, this facility offers short- and long-term stay programs that place a higher priority on restoring the individual’s dignity and sense of identity to users than on the length of their stay. Women will be provided with a space that offers advocacy, education, and services regarding their rights and how to combat violence in the right way. Also, these services are offered to the wider community to assist abused women who refuse to seek shelter. In addition, they are provided to ensure that young girls are aware of violence so they won’t face it themselves in the future. The environment and space of a women’s sanctuary should facilitate women’s recovery from traumatic experiences and help them overcome the traumatic effects of violence through physical and psychological treatment.

Sanctuary which means a safe place. As a project, it will explore safety in two main spaces. The first will be a shelter, which will provide secure quarters for all abused women. The second will be a women’s center, where we will focus on emotional safety so that women are capable of supporting themselves without counting on anybody else. To create a space free from violence and one that doesn’t encourage it, we must incorporate safety through the design elements.

Even though each case has its own path depending on what she has been through, in the end, all paths ultimately lead to the same goal: transferring victims from being victims to survivors.

A major reason for GBV in Jordan is social norms and the belief that being abused is your fault, not your abuser’s. Since women do not seek help due to society’s stigma, the sanctuary offers a solution to keep society from knowing why you entered. How can a building provide a hidden entrance to the heart of the facility?  Due to this, the main entrance leads to a shared community space, which provides indirect access to the sanctuary. How can a building help propel a woman toward empowerment? How can design contribute to breaking the cycle of abuse for good? In encouraging survivors of abuse to feel a sense of belonging through design, we can empower them to accept their weakness with strength and seek a path forward.