Supporting Survivors and Gender Equity lab (SSAGE LAB): Research as a powerful tool for creating meaningful change for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 

We come together to remind everyone of the importance of Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on December 6. Considering the meaning of the day, which serves as a call to action in empowering survivors and preventing and reducing gender-based violence (GBV), we want to take a moment to recognize the important research being conducted at Dr. Paula Barata’s Supporting Survivors and Gender Equity Lab (SSAGE Lab). Paula is a professor in the Department of Psychology and the Associate Dean, Academic (ADA), of the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences (CSAHS). She has been engaged in research related to ameliorating violence against women for over 20 years.  

The SSAGE Lab conducts research focusing on the elimination of GBV and aimed at enhancing the lives of people affected by GBV and inequality through a diverse and feminist lens. This approach offers a safe space where researchers can learn from one another and openly share their insights, aiming for the elimination of power dynamics. SSAGE Lab research explores a range of critical areas such as sexual violence prevention; sexual coercion in intimate relationships; self-compassion, shame, and self-blame in survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV); and housing issues that impact survivors of IPV.  

Dr. Daniely Sciarotta, a postdoctoral scholar, and Roxana Golmohammad, a PhD student in the Department of Psychology, actively work in the SSAGE Lab under Dr. Barata’s supervision. In the following paragraphs, they will introduce their work in the field of GBV and tell you more about the SSAGE Lab. 

Daniely Sciarotta 

As a postdoctoral scholar, I'm dedicated to exploring sociocultural aspects of health and examining the impacts of GBV on women’s health and wellbeing through scientific research. I collaborate with teachers, research institutions, and community-based organizations in Canada and Brazil.  

Within the SSAGE lab, I have dedicated my efforts to examining the negative impacts of income and housing insecurity on women survivors of IPV. I led the data analysis on a CIHR-funded research project entitled "Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Housing Insecurity Among Young Women and Mothers During COVID-19,” co-led by Paula Barata; Lieran Docherty and Dicle Han (WomanACT - Woman Abuse Council of Toronto); and Melissa Tanti (Community Engaged Scholarship Institute, University of Guelph). In addition to scientific outcomes, the interdisciplinary research team (graduate students and peer community researchers) also created knowledge mobilization products, which are five powerful digital stories with IPV women survivors. Furthermore, I am working on a meta-analysis that is an add-on to this project and that will explore IPV during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is co-led by Paula Barata and David Stanley and involves the active participation of undergraduate student Pariya Tofigh.  

I am currently coordinating the SSHRC-funded project “Safe and Stable Housing through Intentional Partnership Intimate Partner Violence,” co-led by Mavis Morris (Department of Sociology & Anthropology) and Paula Barata as Co-Principal Investigators. This project is being developed through a partnership with academics, non-profit organizations, and community partners. In researching, we hope to develop a governance model for effective collaboration, conduct pilot studies to collect longitudinal data on IPV survivors’ housing experiences, and implement a knowledge mobilization strategy to disseminate research findings around the country.   

Roxana Golmohammad 

I'm Roxana, a PhD student in the applied Social Psychology and Sexualities, Genders, and Bodies Collaborative Specialization at the University of Guelph. My research on the sociocultural and political dimensions of migration, social justice, and GBV focuses specifically on the experiences of migrants from the Middle East. In Iran, I worked as a registered counselor, striving to support individuals while integrating these same research focuses into my practice.  

Through my work I've seen how, for many migrant women, migration is not the final destination; instead, it begins a new chapter where past traumas are often intensified by new challenges. These women often come from regions marked by enduring conflicts, authoritarian regimes, or structural violence, where political repression and GBV deeply shape daily life. For them, acts of violence aren't isolated events but are woven into the legal, social, and cultural fabrics of their societies. Upon resettling in host countries, these women encounter further barriers—cultural dislocation, socio-economic hardship, and systemic discrimination—which compound the psychological burdens they already carry. My thesis aims to illuminate these interconnected forces, advocating for systemic and culturally sensitive mental health interventions tailored to the unique needs of migrant women.  

In my role at SSAGE lab, I collaborate closely with students and serve as a research assistant on the IDEA3 (Internet-Delivered EAAA) project, which is adapting for online delivery the Enhanced Access, Acknowledge, Act (EAAA) sexual assault resistance education program. This position has been immensely rewarding, enabling me to apply the theories and concepts I've studied during my PhD directly to real-world research scenarios, thereby enriching the research process.  

Recently, I presented my work at the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Conference, where I discussed my study on “Undocumented Afghan Refugee Women’s Lived Experiences of Distress in Iran: A Narrative Inquiry of Social Suffering During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” This study explores the complex experiences of undocumented Afghan women living in Iran, highlighting the compounded impacts of trauma, displacement, and social adversity during the pandemic. As well as being profoundly impactful, this experience also heightened awareness of challenges related to GBV and initiated valuable discussions in the field.  

To conclude, the purpose of our studies is to prevent, protect, or create innovative solutions to overcome violence against women. Together, under the leadership of Paula Barata and alongside an incredible team of researchers, we are working to end GBV through research! It is also very important to mention that each of us has a role to play in empowering survivors and combating GBV.  We invite you to visit the SSAGE website to learn more about our work, view research results, meet our research team, explore the projects, and discover ways to stay engaged!  

–Written by Daniely Sciarotta and Roxana Golmohammad