At the offices of Solidarité Femmes, located in the heart of downtown La Louvière, Christelle Rousseau massages a woman who has been staying at the shelter for several months now. The organization has been offering this service for more than ten years now to women staying at the center, to “allow them to take some time for themselves and to take back ownership of their bodies, other than as the object of beatings and abuse,” explains shelter director Josiane Coruzzi. Some residents quickly become avid fans, while others are more reticent for varying periods of time, having a hard time allowing someone to see and touch a body that was mistreated and abused over the course of years. When they arrive at the shelter, most of the women have substantial tension stored up in their bodies, which takes time to work out during their first massages.
“The beautician teaches you to appreciate your body, which was not made to take beatings. I also learned to put on make-up for my own pleasure, not just to hide my injuries,” relates former resident Patricia.
February 23, 2011 – La Louvière – Belgium.
© Pierre-Yves GINET