International Women’s Day is not only a day to reflect on the fantastic women and girls in our lives, but also an opportunity to highlight the challenges faced by survivors across Wales and the rest of the UK.
Welsh Women’s Aid publishes our State of the Sector report every year, highlighting the challenges that are faced by the violence against women and girls, domestic abuse and sexual violence (VAWDASV) sector. This year, we decided to do something a little different…
We all have an opportunity and a role to play in the fight against violence against women and girls. From the local GP, to the Minister in Welsh Government, VAWDASV cannot be sustainably ended until we build a world that acknowledges the experiences and needs of survivors. A survivor’s journey does not simply begin and end with an incident of abuse or violence.
To create Change That Lasts, we need to ensure that all support that a survivor requires is ready and resourced to be able to respond. This does not just mean sustainable and inflationary reflective funding for specialist support services but also includes a healthcare system that adapts to need, benefits that can be made safe and a housing stock that can respond to homelessness effectively. This is why we have decided to look at the State of the System this year.
Governmental departments across Wales have the opportunity to respond to VAWDASV in a way that allows specialist support services to focus on the work that they are set up to do: work with survivors in order to build a foundation for positive mental health, security of choice and a feeling of safety. Survivors are arriving to emergency refuge accommodation with more and more complex needs as a result of system that is failing. When a whole systems approach is taken, survivors can get the help they need earlier.
A Healthcare Approach
Our chapter on the approach that the healthcare sector can take focuses on a range of issues from lack of uptake on Ask & Act training, the mental health impacts of VAWDASV and the opportunity that public buildings have in promoting signposting for survivors.
A Housing Approach
Welsh Women’s Aid continue to campaign on housing challenges that are being faced by survivors across Wales. Our members continue to be plagued by issues that have arisen as a result of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 and waiting lists for secure housing are showing no signs of being addressed.
An Economic Approach
Like anyone, the cost-of-living crisis is affecting specialist service provides and survivors. Perpetrators have been taking advantage of the limited funds available to many survivors across Wales. With systems that are unsafe, such as benefits automatically working with joint accounts and the Child Maintenance Service taxing survivors for safer mechanisms, many are pushed into more dangerous situations.
An Educational Approach
Prevention needs to be key if we are to end VAWDASV before it occurs. The education of young people was a key part of the UK Government’s VAWG strategy and it is important that children in Wales do not miss out on the opportunity to learn about the damage of misogynistic attitudes at an early age. Support for children and young people is also being stretched, with the Children Affected by Domestic Abuse Fund being cut. Proper and sustainable is urgently required if the important work is to continue.
A Community Approach
Many survivors, for a number of reasons, choose not to go to the police when disclosing for the first time. Training courses like the Bystander Intervention Course and other community work such as the Ask Me project can mean that more and more of us are ready to respond to VAWDASV. We also know that survivors from marginalised communities are less likely to know where to turn to for support. It is vital that we consider each survivors lived experience when responding to their need.
A Technological Approach
The Online Safety Act 2023 is already dangerously out of date. Opportunities for creating safe environments online for women and girls have been missed, with the issues regarding generative AI already impacting survivors. Governments must treat online spaces with the urgency that it requires.
To read more about the State of the System report and our recommendations for change, coming end of March.
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