In my graduation thesis I focused on the empowerment of women with experience of violence. I was interested in how they define their own empowerment, what are the incentives and barriers to empowerment, and how people with lived experience of violence define the role of social workers and professionals. In the theoretical part, I presented how violence against women has been addressed in the past, how society has reacted to it, and how attitudes towards it have changed over time. I then presented the concept of learned helplessness, the findings of research by various authors on the presence of learned helplessness in victims of violence, the possible consequences of violence, and the importance of self-esteem for people who have experienced violence. Then I presented the concept of empowerment, how different authors define the term, and its importance in social work. I concluded my theoretical introduction with a description of the recovery process and its phases. In the empirical part, I presented the findings obtained through qualitative research using semi-structured interviews with six participants. The study is qualitative and empirical, employing a non-probability convenience sample. The research objectives were to explore how women with experiences of violence define their own empowerment, determine what types of professional support they have received or are receiving, and what additional support they would need for an optimal recovery process. Additionally, the study aimed to identify the key factors for successful empowerment and the barriers preventing women from accessing their own sources of empowerment. I learned that the interviewees associate empowerment with strength, perseverance, freedom, courage, personal growth, and self-esteem, emphasizing that empowerment is a challenging and lifelong process. The main incentives on the path to empowerment include children, supportive individuals, factors that present challenges and fulfillment, a community that provides support and understanding, self-development, and spirituality. The main obstacles are an unsupportive environment, financial hardship, feelings of guilt, patriarchal society, shame, difficulty connecting with oneself and one's emotions, a sense of helplessness, and a lack of self-confidence. Professional support plays a crucial role in the empowerment process. It is essential for individuals with experiences of violence to be heard, understood, believed, and, most importantly, not to feel alone.
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