16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence 2020

From 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end gender-based violence around the world.

The mission of the global campaign is:

  • raising awareness about gender-based violence as a human rights issue at the local, national, regional and international levels
  • strengthening local work around violence against women
  • establishing a clear link between local and international work to end violence against women
  • providing a forum in which organisers can develop and share new and effective strategies
  • demonstrating the solidarity of women around the world organising against violence against women
  • creating tools to pressure governments to implement promises made to eliminate violence against women

Communities all over the world held events and raised their voices to tackle gender-based violence. In 2020, Barking and Dagenham reflected on the impacts of gender-based violence in the context of a global pandemic.


Every day throughout the 16 Days we invited you to join an online conversation with us. We posted a piece of learning or information about local services from different perspectives and you discussed your thoughts and feelings in this space.


If you or a friend is need of support, please see links to in the chats for information or head to https://www.lbbd.gov.uk/domestic-abuse-and-sexual-violence


From 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end gender-based violence around the world.

The mission of the global campaign is:

  • raising awareness about gender-based violence as a human rights issue at the local, national, regional and international levels
  • strengthening local work around violence against women
  • establishing a clear link between local and international work to end violence against women
  • providing a forum in which organisers can develop and share new and effective strategies
  • demonstrating the solidarity of women around the world organising against violence against women
  • creating tools to pressure governments to implement promises made to eliminate violence against women

Communities all over the world held events and raised their voices to tackle gender-based violence. In 2020, Barking and Dagenham reflected on the impacts of gender-based violence in the context of a global pandemic.


Every day throughout the 16 Days we invited you to join an online conversation with us. We posted a piece of learning or information about local services from different perspectives and you discussed your thoughts and feelings in this space.


If you or a friend is need of support, please see links to in the chats for information or head to https://www.lbbd.gov.uk/domestic-abuse-and-sexual-violence


Perspectives

Thank you for sharing your story with us.

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  • 5th December: International Volunteer Day

    over 5 years ago


    Today is International Volunteer Day and a massive thank you to all our volunteers across the borough – you have been instrumental in being able to keep residents safe and looked after throughout the pandemic and beyond.

    In relation to gender- based violence we wanted to welcome the 11 new peer mentors who have recently been recruited into the local domestic and sexual violence service, delivered by Refuge.

    The peer mentors will help break isolation; help build social networks and support survivors whilst they regain control of their lives. The peer mentors will be given several days of training and... Continue reading


    Today is International Volunteer Day and a massive thank you to all our volunteers across the borough – you have been instrumental in being able to keep residents safe and looked after throughout the pandemic and beyond.

    In relation to gender- based violence we wanted to welcome the 11 new peer mentors who have recently been recruited into the local domestic and sexual violence service, delivered by Refuge.

    The peer mentors will help break isolation; help build social networks and support survivors whilst they regain control of their lives. The peer mentors will be given several days of training and development opportunities and we look forwards to linking them in with other volunteers across the borough.

    We also want to shout out to Company Drinks as it also World Soil Day (a surprise to the author writing this!). Company Drinks are wonderful group working across the borough combining local heritage, resources and skills to create drinks and other products through growing local produce. They are supporting the women who are staying in our refuge accommodation to come together and connect. Please check them out, they have a wide range of activities to get involved with!

    Volunteers are often able to offer something that can be really valuable for those who have experienced gender-based violence: time. Time for a cup of tea, or to find solace in a shared experience, or joy in a new adventure.

    Please join us in thanking a volunteer today or sharing a thought about volunteering in relation to gender-based violence, feel free to pop a note in the comments.


    Support links:

    Domestic and Sexual Violence Services

    Company Drinks





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  • 6th December: Adolescent to parent violence

    over 5 years ago

    Adolescent to parent violence (sometimes child to parent violence or shortened to APV or CPV) can be difficult to spot, and difficult to respond to – but it is even harder to experience.

    It has no legal definition and yet we are hearing more and more cases of families experiencing a child or adolescent using a pattern of abuse against parents or siblings.

    In Barking and Dagenham, we are piloting a piece of work with Cranstoun called Level Up for 10-18-year olds who are using abusive behaviours. The project will provide a programme of work to help them understand what... Continue reading

    Adolescent to parent violence (sometimes child to parent violence or shortened to APV or CPV) can be difficult to spot, and difficult to respond to – but it is even harder to experience.

    It has no legal definition and yet we are hearing more and more cases of families experiencing a child or adolescent using a pattern of abuse against parents or siblings.

    In Barking and Dagenham, we are piloting a piece of work with Cranstoun called Level Up for 10-18-year olds who are using abusive behaviours. The project will provide a programme of work to help them understand what a healthy relationship looks like and teaches them alternative, healthy behaviours. Contact Gemma to find out more: ghigson@cranstoun.org.uk 07912 254 317

    Support Links:

    Domestic and Sexual Violence Services

    Cranstoun

    Family Lives

    Resources:

    Home Office Information guide: adolescent to parent

    violence and abuse (APVA)

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  • 7th Decemeber: LGBT+ Experiences of Abuse

    over 5 years ago

    LGBT+ experiences are often missed out in the public narrative of violence and abuse but are no less harrowing.

    Galop is the pan-London LGBT+ anti-violence organisation working around domestic abuse, sexual violence and hate crime. They run services for LGBT+ people via their Domestic Abuse, Sexual Violence and Young People’s Services.

    Galop has a Specialist Young People’s Service, which works with 13-25 year olds experiencing violence and abuse. As well as intimate partner abuse, grooming, CSE and ISVA work, the service offers a specialist service for LGBT+ children and children/young people experiencing honour based abuse, family and community based abuse... Continue reading

    LGBT+ experiences are often missed out in the public narrative of violence and abuse but are no less harrowing.

    Galop is the pan-London LGBT+ anti-violence organisation working around domestic abuse, sexual violence and hate crime. They run services for LGBT+ people via their Domestic Abuse, Sexual Violence and Young People’s Services.

    Galop has a Specialist Young People’s Service, which works with 13-25 year olds experiencing violence and abuse. As well as intimate partner abuse, grooming, CSE and ISVA work, the service offers a specialist service for LGBT+ children and children/young people experiencing honour based abuse, family and community based abuse, child abuse based on faith and belief, forced marriage, peer-on-peer abuse, and harassment, often linked to the young person’s sexuality or gender identity. The service has substantial experience of working with children/young people facing high risk and complex situations and is part of the CouRAGEus young people’s partnership and the Jigsaw LGBT+ partnership.

    Galop is running a ‘Beyond Recognition’ social media campaign from November 23rd – December 11th, 2020. They are calling on everyone to join them to improve recognition of LGBT+ experiences of abuse and ultimately go beyond recognition to create positive change.

    We will be sharing the hashtag on twitter and facebook, will you join us? Let us know in the comment box below. #LGBTBeyondRecognition


    Support Links:

    Galop

    Domestic and Sexual Violence Services

    Resources:

    LGBT+ Domestic Violence Library

    Domestic Violence and Abuse, and The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and

    Transgender + (LGBT+) Communities


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  • 8th December: Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA)

    over 5 years ago


    The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) endorses DAHA as national best practice in the national Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy. In February 2021, the Council will be undertaking an accreditation assessment with DAHA to recognise the huge amount work undertaken over the last year. This includes a wide range of training offers for housing teams, awareness events and partnership working as well as scrutinising our systems and processes to ensure high standards are maintained for our residents who are experiencing domestic abuse.

    Housing is, clearly, a massive factor towards ensuring safety of survivors and children... Continue reading


    The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) endorses DAHA as national best practice in the national Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy. In February 2021, the Council will be undertaking an accreditation assessment with DAHA to recognise the huge amount work undertaken over the last year. This includes a wide range of training offers for housing teams, awareness events and partnership working as well as scrutinising our systems and processes to ensure high standards are maintained for our residents who are experiencing domestic abuse.

    Housing is, clearly, a massive factor towards ensuring safety of survivors and children. There is a national shortage in terms of refuge accommodation bed spaces and often women experiencing gender-based violence must flee across the country to escape those abusing them. For men, and/or LGBT+ people there is very little provision available across the country.

    The new Domestic Abuse Bill which is due to be heard for the second time in the House of Lords imminently, proposes changes that will ensure where domestic abuse is evidenced that survivors will have priority need. However, the national housing landscape means local authorities may not be able to fulfil their duties locally – and so this does not mean survivors are guaranteed help close to their existing support networks, friends and family.

    In Barking and Dagenham, we are exploring ways to keep survivors safe in their own home, using sanctuary schemes to make homes safer with locks, alarms and in some cases CCTV. And in other cases, we are exploring whether it would be beneficial to encourage perpetrators to leave the home if it is part of intensive interventions to stop their abusive behaviour.

    Housing can be a contentious issue at a time when there are national resource issues, and we invite you to share thoughts and reflections today as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence.

    Support Links:

    Shelter

    Domestic and Sexual Violence Services

    Resources:

    Homelessness Code of Guidance (DA Bill Draft)


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  • 9th December: Domestic Abuse in the Workplace

    over 5 years ago

    For Barking and Dagenham, more than a third of our staff also live in the borough. If we accept domestic abuse is a problem for our residents then it stands to reason that it can also impact our staff. 75% of women who experience domestic abuse are targeted at work from harassing phone calls and abusive partners arriving at the office unannounced, to physical assaults. In the context of homeworking and COVID 19, work may not offer the lifeline that it once did as people are trapped at home with their abusers.

    Over the last 18 months we have undertaken... Continue reading

    For Barking and Dagenham, more than a third of our staff also live in the borough. If we accept domestic abuse is a problem for our residents then it stands to reason that it can also impact our staff. 75% of women who experience domestic abuse are targeted at work from harassing phone calls and abusive partners arriving at the office unannounced, to physical assaults. In the context of homeworking and COVID 19, work may not offer the lifeline that it once did as people are trapped at home with their abusers.

    Over the last 18 months we have undertaken considerable efforts to raise awareness of domestic abuse internally, refreshing our policies, providing mandatory managers training and ensuring access to specialist and non-specialist support. We are developing a small army of Domestic Abuse Ambassadors – workplace points of contact who volunteer their time to be part of the work to address domestic abuse across our systems.

    The work has been recognised through us becoming one of the first five organisations in the country to be awarded an Everyone’s Business Award (January 2020) in recognition of the best practice work we are undertaking in this space. In addition, in September 2020, we won the prestigious Best Organisational Development Initiative Award at the PPMA Excellence in People Management Awards 2020, which contributed to the borough being awarded a Silver Award overall.

    This is something we take seriously and if you have a business in the borough and are interested in developing your own domestic abuse policy, we are happy to share our learning and support networks. The workplace can genuinely be a place of safety and support for people experiencing domestic abuse.

    Does your workplace have a domestic abuse policy for employees? Let us know in the comment box below.

    Support and Resource Links:

    Domestic and Sexual Violence Services

    Hestia’s Everyone’s Business

    PPMA Excellence in People’s Management Awards 2020

    Domestic Abuse Toolkit for Employers





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  • 10th December: World Human Rights Day

    over 5 years ago

    To conclude the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence we are drawing attention to World Human Rights Day.

    All forms of gender-based violence are human rights issues. Violence against women is a violation of women’s fundamental human rights:

    • The right to life
    • The right not to be tortured or treated in an inhuman and degrading way
    • The right to respect for private and family life (including the right to physical and psychological integrity)
    • The right not to be discriminated against

    Thank you for taking part in the last 16 days. Sometimes it can feel lonely holding space for people... Continue reading

    To conclude the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence we are drawing attention to World Human Rights Day.

    All forms of gender-based violence are human rights issues. Violence against women is a violation of women’s fundamental human rights:

    • The right to life
    • The right not to be tortured or treated in an inhuman and degrading way
    • The right to respect for private and family life (including the right to physical and psychological integrity)
    • The right not to be discriminated against

    Thank you for taking part in the last 16 days. Sometimes it can feel lonely holding space for people at their most vulnerable, but it has been good to reflect just how much support there is across the borough for residents experiencing gender-based violence.

    It is imperative that we continue to work together to tackle gender-based violence in all its forms, and the only way we can do this is in partnership, giving space for learning, reflection, and activism.

    We have shared lots of information over the last 16 Days. We would love to hear from you about what really jumped out at you, if you thought anything was missing, or just a reflection on the part you can play in the fight against gender-based violence in Barking and Dagenham.

    Please post your views and ideas in the comment box below and let us know if you would like us to carry this conversation on using the platform to share information over time.


    For support relating to gender-based violence please familiarise yourself with this link:

    Domestic and Sexual Violence Services



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Page last updated: 24 Nov 2021, 03:38 PM