Equal Victims: The Universal Reality of Intimate Partner Violence by DATA4CHAN.GE

“Equal Victims: The Universal Reality of Intimate Partner Violence” is a pioneering initiative designed to address the critical lack of data on intimate partner violence within LGBTQ+ communities in Uganda. Amidst the legal and social challenges posed by Uganda's new Anti-Homosexuality Act, this project, this collaboration between Lifeline Youth Empowerment Center and Data4Change, leverages an unusual and impactful data collection methodology called "Power Portraits." Developed with input from community and trauma specialists, this method allows participants to choose symbols that resonate deeply with their personal and communal identities, providing a way to express experiences that may be too painful to verbalize.

These symbols, selected by the community to represent various aspects of their intimate partner violence experiences, ensure the security and anonymity of participants while minimizing the risk of retraumatization. The resulting Power Portraits are then compiled into a compelling dataset that not only provides valuable insights but also visually reflects the identities and stories of a marginalized community. This innovative approach not only fills a significant data gap but also challenges conventional data collection techniques by intertwining community identity with data visualization.