"We are survivors not victims." Image: Fundacion Ana Bella.
More than a third of women worldwide have experienced abuse at some point in their lives. I am Ana Bella. I was one of the abused women until one night I used my strength, my fear and my will to escape with my four kids. I started a new life because I broke the silence. But the majority of abused women are invisible and do not receive support.
Only a small proportion of abused women in Europe report to the police. Campaigns to encourage victims to report, to seek support, often use images of the physical consequences of abuse - black eyes, scars. The media repeatedly broadcast interviews of crying and trembling women with disguised faces and distorted voices. Newspapers report on the murders of women in Spain every week.
