Circle of Strength: Women Supporting Women Through Justice and Healing

So much of what we do — in advocacy, in healing, in justice — is grounded in the power of having a circle of women around you. Women who stand beside you, believe you, fight with you, and help lift you out of places you never asked to be in. This is at the core of what we do at A Case for Women.

This past week at the Conference on Crimes Against Women (CCAW), that truth echoed through every hallway, every session, and every conversation. We were overwhelmed, in the best way possible, by the sheer magnitude of incredible work in action.

CCAW is one of the most comprehensive international conferences addressing all forms of violent crime against women. Co-founded by Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support, the Dallas Police Department, and the FBI, the conference is now in its 20th year, and expertly brings together a multidisciplinary audience, from law enforcement and prosecutors to advocates, medical professionals, and survivors, to explore best practices, cutting-edge research and survivor–centered responses to gender-based violence.

With more than 250 workshops and thousands of attendees, CCAW is more than a conference. It’s a movement to make systems better for women. Survivors. Clinicians. Advocates. Lawyers. Police officers. Nurses. First responders. Interviewers. All gathered with a common goal: to learn, to grow, and to do better for women.

One session that deeply resonated with us was titled: “Beyond Fight/Flight/ Freeze: The Neurobiology of Appeasement and Fawning/Placating.”  It drew a room packed with professionals who represent every step of a survivor’s journey and was a powerful reminder that trauma responses are far more complex than we’re often taught — and that understanding them is essential to creating systems that do no further harm.

And that’s what this entire conference does so beautifully:

It brings together those who have the power to shape the survivor’s experience, to build systems of compassion and to challenge the status quo of a legal process that isn’t inherently built for women.

We had the honor of speaking with Maria MacMullin, Chief Impact Officer for Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support in Dallas, Texas. The way she described Genesis’s trauma-informed approach was inspiring. At Genesis, women and their families are encircled with intentional, holistic support:

It’s a system that anticipates every need and every hurdle, offering not just help, but hope made tangible. In a world where so many structures are not designed with women in mind, Genesis has built one that is.

And that is exactly what so many survivors need when they step into the daunting world of civil litigation. It’s not just about going to court. It’s about reclaiming your voice, your power, and your future — with a circle of women walking that road with you.

Women who understand.

Women who validate.

Women who help you prepare, process, and persevere.

We left the conference with full hearts, deeper knowledge, and renewed purpose. The road through trauma to healing is never linear, and it’s rarely easy. But with the right community, women can and do rise.