survivor

Definition

In relation to violence against women, the term survivor is used to attribute agency to the woman who has been subjected to gender-based violence. This term is often used interchangeably with the more conventional term victim. The term survivor may, however, be misleading when used about a woman who has been raped, since it might imply that her actions could have made a difference and thus be consistent with victim-blaming.

See also: victim

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Source(s)

European Parliament, Policy Department C: Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs (2013). Overview of the Worldwide Best Practices for Rape Prevention and for Assisting Women Victims of Rape.

URI: http://eige.europa.eu/taxonomy/term/1402

Relations

Related terms

Additional notes and information

  • General

Note: Despite the current debates on terms ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’ − for the sake of clarity and consistency − in all definitions in the Gender Equality Glossary related to gender-based violence we use term ‘victim’ as the same term is used in European and international sources.

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