Domestic violence against women remain to be a persisting public health problem in our society despite the passing of laws and various efforts to eliminate violence. Republic Act No. 9262: Violence Against Women and their children Act as well as the Republic Act No. 9710 Magna Carta of Women are among the feats of advocates for women. These laws provide an avenue for women protection, health and safety in the hope of eliminating gender-based violence. However, violence against women remain behind closed doors and statistics only reveal the reported cases. This paper aimed to report the lived experiences of women who have gone through domestic violence. Women who became survivors provide insights on how it was to go through and out of the abusive relationship. This study employed a qualitative phenomenological approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among five women in Zamboanga City who were selected through purposive sampling and snowballing method. Using a thematic analysis method, systematic codes were produced and collated into potential themes with an overall narrative analysis. Reliability and validity were accomplished through audio recording and member checking. Results identified four themes related to the experiences of women in surviving domestic violence: (1) living in chains, (2) choosing to challenge, and (3) point-of-no-return and (4) thriving through. These themes highlighted the ways women have coped with being in an abusive relationship, from surviving while being in the relationship to breaking free to the point of thriving. These themes emphasized that more than the physical experience of the abuse, the mental and emotional aspect remains to be hidden and unrecognized, and even experienced, after leaving the abusive relationship.

Keyword: Women who have gone through domestic violence