Violence Against Women and Girls Advocacy and Support

Black and Minoritised women are disproportionately affected by Violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the UK. Experiences of violence are often intersected with racism, insecure immigration status, language barriers and cultural stigma.

Access to support and safety may be harder for them.

Our VAWG services are designed by and for the communities we serve. We provide culturally sensitive and trauma-informed support in mother tongue for women and girls affected by domestic abuse and harmful practices including forced marriage, female genital mutilation and the so-called ‘Honour’ based abuse.

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Led by women for women, we accompany survivors of domestic abuse and harmful practices in their journey towards safety, recovery and rebuilding.

With the strategic priority that no one is left behind, our Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Services include one to one advocacy and support in English and in the mother tongue:

  • Kurdish Sorani
  • Arabic
  • Farsi

Who do We Support?

Provided by culturally competent frontline professionals, KMEWO is best placed to identify and meet the complex and intersected needs of the women we support; Kurdish, Middle Eastern and North African (KMENA) Women in London.

We provide one-to-one, culturally appropriate advocacy and support for domestic abuse including harmful practices such as Forced Marriage, FGM and ‘Honour’-Based Abuse with routes to legal and immigration support.

With prevention and early intervention, our aim is to stop violence before it happens or escalates, reduce its immediate and long-term impacts, and promote safety, empowerment and equality.

For information contact

avan@kmewo.com

sazan@kmewo.com

referrals@kmewo.com

Call at 02072631027

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Samira Project

Funded by Islington Council and in partnership with IMECE Women’s Centre and Latin America Women’s Aid (LAWA), we support Kurdish, Middle Eastern and North African women who are survivors of domestic abuse and Harmful practices and they reside in Islington. The service is offered in Kurdish Sorani, Arabic, Farsi and in English:

  • Violence Against Women and Girls advocacy and support
  • Crisis intervention
  • Emotional support
  • Welfare benefits support
  • Routes to legal and immigration advice and support

Prevention and Action Through Community Engagement and Training (P&ACT)

Funded by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, P&ACT is a London-wide partnership comprised of twelve ‘led by and for’ organisations and led by Asian Women’s Resource Centre (AWRC).

What do we offer through P&ACT?

P&ACT offers specialist services to survivors experiencing or being at risk of domestic abuse and harmful practices:

  • One-to-one specialist advocacy for Black and Minoritised survivors of domestic abuse and harmful practices in Kurdish Sorani, Arabic, Farsi and in English.
  • Counselling in Kurdish Sorani, Arabic, Amharic, Tigrinya and in English
  • Community engagement and workshops
  • Specialist training for professionals in harmful practices

ASCENT Safe Accommodation Floating Support Services led by Refuge

The Ascent Pan London Floating Support Service provides high-quality domestic abuse support, by-and-for’ services and counselling. It is a partnership of eleven specialist domestic abuse organisations across London, delivering trauma-informed and wrap-around floating support for those in safe accommodation, across London:

SERVICES

  • Specialist support and safety planning, to reduce risks and harm for survivors and their children.
  • Ongoing casework support, including referrals to specialist advice and practical support, such as legal advice around civil and criminal remedies.
  • Empowering survivors with information on their rights and options, demystifying complex statutory systems and dispelling myths perpetuated by perpetrators and wider society.
  • Support to maintain accommodation, or to source permanent accommodation as necessary.
  • Financial empowerments work to maximise income, including support with debt.
  • Counselling
  • Support to link with local resources such as ESOL classes, volunteering, and training to develop financial independence, and opportunities to gain social support, such as mother-and-baby groups, or formal DA programmes (delivered by partners).

PARTNERS

ASCENT Safe Accommodation Floating Support Services for NRPF Women led by Asian Women’s Resource Centre (AWRC)

A pan-London partnership providing one to one specialist domestic abuse and harmful practices advocacy and support ensuring women’s access to safe accommodation also supporting them with Migrant Victim Domestic Abuse Concession (MVDAC), with cost-of-living crisis and welfare benefits. The partnership is led by Asian Women’s Resource Centre (AWRC).

PARTNERS

Survivors 2 Thrivers

KMEWO has partnered with Middle Eastern Society Organisation (MEWSO) to provide culturally sensitive Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) advocacy and support to Black and Minoritised women who reside in Haringey, Hackney, Westminster and Barnet.

We offer:

  • VAWG advocacy and support with referrals to immigration and family law routes
  • Safe planning, MARAC referrals, support letters for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
  • Housing Advice
  • Welfare benefits support
  • Counselling
  • Harmful Practices Training for Professionals
  • Referrals to English classes

Have you been affected by domestic abuse?

We are ready to listen and help you.