London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Around £ 3 million in additional funding has been announced to support women from black and ethnic minority backgrounds in London to escape family violence.
Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed some survivors stay with perpetrators because they cannot afford to leave and those that do run the risk of getting into debt. Over 30,000 women and girls have acquired specialist help to rebuild lives from City Hall’s Violence Against Women and Girls Grassroots Fund in the past two years.
It has helped 41 organisations working with Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities and other underrepresented groups, including those implicated in prostitution and with disabilities.
Beyond The Streets in Tower Hamlets, Whitechapel-based Sister Circle, and Hackney’s Diverse Voices are among the schemes providing access to legal guidance, counseling, emergency housing, and other key services.
What specific services will the new funding enhance?
Mr Khan stated: “I am determined to ensure that terminating violence against women and girls is treated with the highest urgency by our police and society as a whole. Local grassroots services know their residents and are best placed to help, but we know the endless cost-of-living crisis is having an unprecedented effect on women and children undergoing violence and abuse and the life-saving services they need.”
Moreover, the Mayor underlined “That’s why I have today declared £ 3 million more in funding for my Violence Against Women and Girls Grassroots Fund to assist keep doors open for key and technical services for underrepresented communities who too frequently have nowhere to turn. As we persist in working together to build a safer London for everyone, I’m committed to doing everything I can to help these communities which are experiencing a wave in demand to support more women and girls.“I look forward to working closely with the new Government in the coming months to do even more to support the most vulnerable in our society and help them access the one-to-one help they desperately need and deserve.”
How will Sister Circle use the new funds for its services?
Karen Wint, CEO of Sister Circle, said: “For us as an organisation, this donation came at a critical time for our counseling service, helping women with emotional and mental scars of female genital cutting. Delivering the service in multiple community languages signifies more women can access our service. This allows us to deliver expert care and enhance the wellbeing and long-term mental health of women and girls who have been through this ordeal.”