Survivors as health promoters to prevent IPV in immigrant communities

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects one in every three immigrant women in their lifetime. IPV victims undoubtedly need comprehensive intervention services. However, providing services alone will neither prevent IPV, nor will it enable us to reach the high demand for services. In order to successfully eliminate IPV in immigrant and refugee communities, intervention and prevention are and must be intricately connected. Thus, at Enlace Comunitario (EC) of Albuquerque, New Mexico, a number of immigrant survivors of IPV, who previously received intervention services at EC, are trained in the development of their individual and collective leadership capacity. Then they work with the community to prevent IPV, conducting outreach work and presenting these topics to the community. It is important to note that the emphasis on the role of survivors in IPV prevention is on developing community leaders who work together with others to create change. EC's model reflects the history of the battered women's movement, as prevention efforts are led by those most impacted by IPV. The active participation of survivors in IPV prevention represents the heart and soul of a model, grounded in the experiences and insights of graduates from services and intervention programs.