Dr Camille Stengel from the University of Greenwich will be joined by Justice Studio’s Director Marianne Moore, Southall Black Sisters’ Director Pragna Patel, and Rebecca Goshawk from Solace Women’s Aid to discuss London-based research amplifying the voices of survivors of domestic violence during the first COVID lockdown.
The study explored the impact of the pandemic on those escaping domestic abuse during the lockdown, as well as the impact on charities providing services to support survivors. It analysed structures put in place to respond to domestic violence during the pandemic and survivor’s’s access to help and support through organisations like Solace Women’s Aid and Southall Black Sisters.
Globally, one in three women have experienced domestic abuse in their lifetime, and more than a third of femicides are committed by an intimate partner. In the UK, over the last decade, a woman has been killed by a man approximately every three days. During this talk, you will hear how the lockdowns intensified the experience of women in hostile domestic situations and how different societal structures further exacerbate the situation for many, including those working in women’s refuges.
Dr Camille Stengel says: “This research provides a vignette of how survivors and service providers navigated through the chaos of the first lockdown. This study adds to a growing body of evidence of the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic, and specifically the lockdown-related restrictions, has impacted survivors and service providers. Solace Women’s Aid and Southall Black Sisters are providing vital support for some of the most vulnerable people in our society, and the pandemic has made their work even more difficult. As outlined in the report recommendations, I’d like to see changes in the Domestic Abuse Bill to include support for survivors with No Recourse to Public Funds, and sustainable funding for service providers for staffing and resources.”
To register for the event, please visit here.
