There is a growing understanding that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to tackling DA. How can policy makers, commissioners and services ensure that every survivor’s safety and support needs are met? How can communities work to amplify survivors’ voices from minoritised communities and confront perpetration?

The pandemic, Black Lives Matter, and ongoing political contention in the UK and beyond have brought these and similar questions of identity and intersectionality into sharp focus. Some of the current gaps in the safety net are clear – Black and minoritised, migrant, LGBTQIA+ and disabled survivors face additional barriers in accessing timely, effective support, and their voices often go unheard in public conversations about DA.

Join a diverse panel of fantastic speakers to discuss and frame a new call for action in bridging these gaps including tackling the sector-wide inequalities and marginalisation that create a conducive context for worse outcomes for those under the radar of mainstream services.

Panellists include:

Ngozi Fulani, founder of Sistah Space, a community-based initiative in Hackney that supports African-heritage women and girls who have experienced sexual and/or domestic abuse

Meena Kumari, Founder and Director of H.O.P.E Training & Consultancy and coordinator of a series of national domestic abuse virtual knowledge sharing events during Covid-19

Dr Ava Kanyeredzi, a Senior Lecturer in Forensic, Clinical and Community Psychology and research and evaluation lead for the Black Church Domestic Abuse Forum

Rianna Raymond-Williams, Founder of Shine Aloud UK , a grassroots organisation and creative collective to promote sexual health and tackle sexual health inequalities, particularly among minoritised people

Dr Akima Thomas, Founder and Clinical Director of the Women and Girls Network, a holistic therapeutic service working with women and girls surviving gendered violence

Shereen Daniels, an advocate for anti-racism in business, Vice Chair of the Black Business Association and Founder and Managing Director of HR Rewired, a consultancy which partners with businesses to advance racial equity

James Rowlands, a PhD researcher at the University of Sussex who comes from a practice background in the domestic and sexual abuse sector. As a front-line practitioner, James set up the Dyn Project in 2004 - the first specialist advocacy service in Wales for heterosexual, gay, bisexual and trans men experiencing abuse from their partners

This event has been supported by Suffolk County Council and H.O.P.E Network.

From minoritised to centralised identities: paradigm shifts in tackling DA