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12 UK Organisations Tackling Sexual Harassment and Abuse That You Can Support Now

17/03/2021 - 12:58 PM

In the UK, 97 percent of women have been sexually harassed [1]. This startling statistic was confirmed just last week, through a recent study by UN Women UK [2]. Essentially, it means that almost every single woman has been the subject of unwanted sexual advances in her lifetime, and the worst part is, it's still happening.

On 3 March 2021, a young woman named Sarah Everard was declared as missing. A few short days later, remains of her body were found near Clapham Common, and it was later confirmed that a serving Metropolitan police officer named Wayne Couzens was responsible for her death. Understandably, the news — along with UN Women UK's statistic — sparked a much wider conversation about women's safety and called into question the so-called protection of the UK police force that seemingly does little to make women feel safe.

While the first priority for our male counterparts is to start calling each other out [3] for their wrongdoings, and to reevaluate how they treat women walking on the streets, the next thing to do is to look at and support the countless organisations that are actively calling for change: organisations like Southall Black Sisters, who've been campaigning for women's safety since 1979, and like Sisters Uncut, a direct-action group who oppose government cuts for domestic abuse victims.

Read through to take a look at all the organisations doing the work, and find out more about how you can support them.

Women's Aid

Women's Aid supports women experiencing domestic abuse and helps them to escape the situation. The organisation offers a live chat service, an open forum, and a surviver's handbook for victims. They also continue to campaign for change. In the past, they've helped to make coercive and controlling behaviour a criminal offence and campaigned to have relationships and sex education added to the national curriculum in 2020.

Donate to Women's Aid now [4].

Sisters Uncut

Sisters Uncut is a group that takes direct action for domestic violence services, predominantly through opposing UK government cuts that may negatively affect victims. In the wake of Sarah Everard's suspected murder, Sisters Uncut helped to organise a number of vigils and peaceful protests.

Join or donate to Sisters Uncut now [5].

Southall Black Sisters

Founded in 1979, Southall Black Sisters is a not-for-profit organisation that seeks to support migrant Black and minority women who are experiencing, or are at risk of, gender-related violence. The organisation aims to help women in abusive relationships through their helplines, emergency accommodation, legal help, and food support. Particularly accessible to those from migrant communities, Southall Black Sisters provides services in a number of languages, including Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, and Urdu.

Donate to Southall Black Sisters now [6].

Fawcett Society

The Fawcett Society is a UK charity that campaigns for gender equality and women's rights. Its main aims include fighting for equal pay, securing equal power, and defending women's rights during the current coronavirus pandemic. At present, the organisation is campaigning for misogyny to become a hate crime and is encouraging votes for amendments to the current domestic abuse bill.

Donate to The Fawcett Society now. [7]

Sistah Space

Sistah Space is a community-led organisation based in Hackey, East London. Founded back in 2015, they primarily work with women of African heritage who have experienced domestic abuse. With the help of donations from their community, Sistah Space is able to provide help and support, alongside access to essential items like sanitary products and toothbrushes.

Donate or volunteer to join Sistah Space now [8].

Solace

Solace is a registered charity based in the UK that supports women and children who are experiencing domestic and sexual violence, as well as psychological or financial control and trafficking. They provide advice and support, access to therapy, training courses, and access to accommodation for those in need.

Donate to Solace now [9].

Paladin

Paladin was first launched in 2013, after the organisation's founder, Laura Richards, helped to successfully campaign for stalking to become a criminal offence. Paladin uses DASH 2009 (the Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment and Honour based Violence Risk Checklist) to help with early identification, intervention, and prevention for victims. They provide support and advice for victims and professionals, alongside campaigning for victim's voices to be heard.

Donate to Paladin now [10].

One25

One25 is a Bristol-based charity that supports the city's most marginalised women, particularly those employed in sex work. They run an outreach van to provide women with safety and support at night, alongside a daytime drop-in centre and one-to-one sessions with specialist caseworkers.

Donate to One25 now [11].

Action Against Stalking

Action Against Stalking is a Scottish organisation that provides support for victims of stalking. Founded in 2014, AAS delivers advocacy, training, and expert advice for victims and continues to campaign for recognisable change. The organisation is also able to act as advocates on the behalf of victims who report stalking crimes and can help to navigate the criminal justice system.

Donate to AAS now [12].

Good Night Out Campaign

The Good Night Out Campaign is an initiative that offers specialist training, policy support, and an accreditation programme for nightlife spaces and organisations in order to help them better understand, respond to, and prevent sexual harassment and assault. The organisation began back in 2014 and helped London's iconic nightclub fabric to create the first-ever nightclub anti-sexual harassment policy.

Donate or get involved with The Good Night Out Campaign now [13].

Welsh Women's Aid

Welsh Women's Aid is the national charity in Wales that is working to end domestic abuse and all forms of violence against women. It provides advice and consultancy for survivors as well as training and support for families and communities. Welsh Women's Aid also delivers the Wales National Quality Service Standards (NQSS), which is a national accreditation framework for domestic abuse specialist services in Wales.

Donate to or fundraise for Welsh Women's Aid now [14].

Victim Support Northern Ireland

Victim Support Northern Ireland is an independent charity that supports people who have been affected by crime, including online abuse, stalking, and domestic violence. It provides assistance and support in court, help with criminal injury compensation claims, and advocacy services in incidents of hate crime and sexual violence.

Donate to Victim Support NI now [15].


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