DV & the Hague Abduction Convention: Safeguarding Survivors

FiLiA Hague Mothers, GlobalARRK, Sanctuary for Families, and Revibra Europa invite you to an International Webinar: DV & the Hague Abduction Convention: Safeguarding Survivors

In the lead-up to October's HCCH Forum on DV and the Hague in Brazil, our jointly-hosted webinar will provide an overview of the key challenges facing victim-survivors of domestic abuse - namely, mothers and their children - as they navigate the Hague Abduction Convention in an increasingly globalised world. Speakers will also propose solutions to better protect victim-survivors in these cases.

The stellar international line-up includes legal and academic experts, frontline professionals, and survivors. They will consider the assumptions that underlie the current implementation of the Convention, and the related barriers to justice - systemic, cultural, economic - faced by mothers and their children.

Issues covered will include:

• access to justice for women and children, gender-bias and inequality of arms
• abduction as a protective act
• the impact of DV and coercive control on children
• pro-contact culture & protective measures
• post-separation abuse & relocation.

Webinar hosts:

FiLiA Hague Mothers is a global campaign which aims to end the injustices created by the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, specifically for mothers and children who are victims of domestic abuse. We are a voluntary group of lawyers, academics, domestic abuse professionals, child psychologists, human rights and children’s rights activists, trauma specialists, and Hague mothers, all working to support and safeguard victim-survivors. We aim to amplify the voices of victim-survivors, raise awareness of the impact of domestic violence and coercive control in these cases, engage with government representatives and with the HCCH itself to challenge the bias inherent in the Convention and advocate for effective change.

GlobalARRK (GA) is the only charity that specialises in supporting ‘Stuck Parents’ – those who are unable to return home with their children after a relationship breakdown and child residence dispute. Incredibly, these Stuck Parents and their children can find themselves stranded in a country where they struggle to survive but cannot legally leave to go to live in their home country with their children. We help those Stuck Parents who are isolated, with little or no income, often dealing with domestic abuse, struggling with their mental health and with little understanding of the international law that traps them in that country. In some cases, primary carer parents and children can become separated if the parent feels that they have no choice but to go back to their home country without their child. GlobalARRK provides free emotional and practical support with a call back helpline; email and messaging; online support groups; recovery courses; befriending; factsheets; legal clinic; signposting to expert legal support. We advocate for a fairer system for stuck parents and support research that will better inform decision making and system change.

Sanctuary for Families is a New York-based NGO serving survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking, and related forms of gender-based violence. Every year, Sanctuary works with thousands of adults and children to address legal, clinical, housing, and economic needs. Through comprehensive services for survivors, and through outreach, education and advocacy, we strive to create a world in which freedom from gender violence is a basic human right.  The Narkis Golan International Child Abduction Initiative (NGI) is one o Sanctuary’s legal initiatives, created to support survivors facing Hague Convention Child Abduction litigation after fleeing domestic violence with their children across international borders. The NGI collaborates with law firms, legal and social services organizations, jurists, survivors, and other stakeholders to provide education and technical assistance, and to increase access to justice for survivors through pro bono legal representation. 

Revibra Europa offers legal and psychological support to migrant women in Europe facing domestic violence or in need of legal assistance. Our mission is to listen to concerns, protect rights, and assist women in making informed decisions about their lives. A key aspect of our work involves providing advice and support to mothers dealing with Hague and family courts - often without resources, support networks or legal representation.