29 October 2025

15:30 - 17:00 CET

WWP EN is committed to exploring women’s use of force in intimate partner violence (IPV) through a gender-sensitive, feminist lens. This webinar, led by Melissa Scaia, examined the complexities of women’s use of force, including distinctions between coercive-controlling violence and resistive/self-defensive actions, and explore how community responses and interventions can be adapted accordingly. Participants gained insights into effective strategies that consider both the violence women experience and the violence they may use.

By the end of the webinar, participants:

• Understood the different forms of women’s use of force in IPV.
• Learnt how gender-sensitive and feminist approaches can shape interventions.
• Explored practical strategies for context-specific, effective responses to IPV.

This webinar provided a foundation for developing nuanced, comprehensive interventions tailored to the realities of intimate partner violence.

View the webinar recording

About the speaker:

Melissa Scaia (she/her) has addressed gender-based violence (GBV) for 25 years. She works part-time for Domestic Abuse Project in their men’s perpetrator program and coordinates the Minneapolis Coordinated Community Response (CCR). She is an international consultant for UN Women on GBV. As a researcher, international trainer, and co-author of Domestic Violence Turning Points, she focuses on addressing women’s use of violence in a CCR and non-violence program. She also co-wrote a curriculum for working with perpetrators as fathers entitled, Addressing Fatherhood with Men Who Batter. She is the former Director of International Training at Global Rights for Women and former executive director of Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs (DAIP), also known as “the Duluth Model.”

Learn more about Melissa´s work: www.domesticviolenceexpert.net