The 25th of November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and starts off the " #16DaysOfActivism"

#16Days #IDEVAW #IDEVAW2020 https://www.un.org/en/observances/ending-violence-against-women-day

On this day in 1960, three out of four of the Mirabal sisters (also known as "Las Mariposas", "The Butterflies") were assassinated. They were activists from Dominican Republic, where they were involved in the movement against the dictator Trujillo.

“There is no such thing as a single issue struggle because we do not live single issue lives”

- Learning from the 60s, Audre Lorde, 1982

A gendered response to violence is crucial, and it must be intersectional. The violence faced by global majority women cannot be separated from state violence, the legacies of colonialism and white supremacy.

Language matters. People who in policy terms in the U.K. would be referred to as ethnic minorities, black and minority ethnic and other variations come from communities which make up the global majority. This is why we use global majority, or Black and minoritised.

A Black feminist perspective recognises that racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression are inextricably bound together; we strive for equality as a diverse movement by overcoming the intersecting oppressions experienced by Black and minoritised women and girls.

In the UK, where cuts to VAWG services have had an enormous impact across the sector, specialist Black and minoritised 'led by and for' VAWG services are underfunded by a further 40%, with 50% of them being forced to close in the last 10 yrs. COVID-19 creates further challenges.

Services 'led by and for' Black and minoritised women have developed expertise over many years to best serve women and children in our communities, even while being chronically under resourced and our work being co-opted.

This is the definition we use when we talk about 'led by and for':

"Specialist services are designed and delivered by and for the users and communities they aim to serve"

- Specialist Services: A Guide for Commissioners, Voice4Change England and NAVCA, 2012

Our research has found:

"The ‘led by and for’ model offers a uniquely empowering experience to women and children, as the client group is reflected in staffing, management and governance structures of these organisations."

- State of the Sector, Imkaan, 2015

"On #IDEVAW2020 and during this years #16Days of Activism we celebrate the inspirational and courageous work of our members across the UK, who work to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls."

"Imkaan’s current members have been delivering specialist ‘led by and for’ ending VAWG services for Black and minoritised women collectively for 1026 years! Each year our members work with over 86k women and children, with 40% of women supported being destitute."

"Throughout the #16Days 2020 we will be spotlighting our amazing members to thank them for all they do in working to end violence against women and girls."

Dion Spence - Head of Training, Development and Member Sustainability

@AngelouCentre1 offers a range of holistic women-only* services for black and minoritised women across the North East.

The organisation remains unique as one of the few remaining Black-led women’s organisations in the north east of England, providing specialist support for black and minoritised women and children, locally, regionally and nationally.

@AngelouCentre1's Specialisms include:

Intersectional VAWG Advocacy inc. Sexual Violence Service
Harmful Practices/'HBV/A'
NRPF- Refuge/Crisis Accommodation
Immigration and Visa Abuse
Support for Children Survivors, Young Women, and Parents/Carers
Multi-lingual therapy