As organisations dedicated to ending violence against women and girls, domestic abuse and sexual violence, we are deeply concerned by the growing trend of far-right campaigners exploiting the issue to cause further divisive harm.
It is vitally important to end and campaign against violence against women and girls, domestic abuse and sexual violence. It is an epidemic that affects women across Wales and requires urgent action. However, recently, the work to end violence against women has been hijacked and used as a method to divide us and harm marginalised communities.
Marches and protests on anti-immigration have used violence against women and girls as an excuse to share more hatred and spread fear amongst communities. Wales’ commitment to being the world’s first Nation of Sanctuary reflects the deep sense of compassion that many feel across the country.
Organisations and campaigners across Wales have been working with survivors from all communities, with a wide range of lived experiences, and will not allow hate to stand in their place.
We wholly reject the use of our cause to incite fear, create deep divisions and promote stereotypes that suggest some groups are inherently more violent than others. Such narratives divert attention from the true, structural and deeply entrenched nature of violence against women and girls.
True commitment to ending violence against women and girls means standing against all forms of oppression. It means centring the voices of survivors who are still waiting for systemic change and the specialist organisations that are working every single day with dwindling resources.
Signatories
- Welsh Women’s Aid
- Swansea Women’s Aid – Lynne Sanders
- Safer Wales – Simon Borja
- Cyfannol – Helen Swain
- North Wales Women’s Centre – Abby Lewis
- Stori – Andrew Belcher
- Gorwel – Elizabeth Ephraim
- Alison Stokes – Chief Executive Officer, Thrive Domestic Abuse Services
- Colleen Bennett – CarmDAS
- Calan Domestic Violence Services – Michelle Whelan
- BAWSO – Samsunear Ali
- Bevan Foundation
- Cross Party Group on Violence against Women and Children
- Miranda Metha, Sanctuary Coalition Cymru
- Athina Summerbell, Welsh Refugee Council
- Ailsa Dunn, Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees
- Nathan Phillips, Asylum Matters
- Sasha Eykyn, Cardiff University