In Côte d'Ivoire, the Stop au Chat Noir association has set up a 16-month project to meet the needs of survivors of sexual violence, with the support of the Feminists in Action fund. Created in 2019, the Stop au Chat Noir association takes its name from the Ivorian expression "faire chat noir" (to be a black cat), which refers to the practice of certain men breaking into a young woman's bedroom at night while she is sleeping to force her to perform a sexual act.
A secure environment for rebuilding your life
Through the project supported by Feminists in Action, Stop au Chat Noir has worked to create a shelter where support services for survivors of sexual violence are provided in a safe environment. Located in the town of Bingerville, the shelter has been operational since April 2023. It includes accommodation reserved for survivors and their children in need of emergency shelter. To this end, the shelter has a capacity of six beds. In addition, the shelter allows survivors in its care to participate in art therapy sessions and support groups, as well as to access psychotherapy.
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A space for dialogue with survivors or witnesses of violence
At the same time, Stop au Chat Noir has been working on a new mobile app for survivors of all types of violence, people who have witnessed violence, and the Ivorian population more broadly. Easy to use (audio functionality) and available free of charge on the App Store (Apple) and Play Store (Android) since August 2023, this app provides information on support centers, support partners, and a list of emergency numbers. In addition, anyone using the app can chat live with the Stop au Chat Noir team (during the day) or get immediate answers to their questions thanks to a chatbot available 24 hours a day. Through this app, Stop au Chat Noir is also able to systematically collect data on the phenomenon of sexual violence.
An initiative to break the silence surrounding GBV in academia
In order to expand its efforts to prevent and combat GBV, Stop au Chat Noir collaborated with Félix Houphouët Boigny University to organize training sessions on advocacy techniques for students in the psychology and sociology departments. Once equipped with these skills, they are mobilized on the front lines to combat gender-based violence in the university environment. In addition to the training sessions, Stop au Chat Noir carried out awareness-raising activities, which directly reached more than 300 people at Félix Houphouët Boigny University. It is now less taboo to talk about gender-based violence among the student population.
