‘We are speaking up in the light of the horrific murders of Bibaa Henry, Nicole Smallman, Sarah Everard, Sabina Nessa and the countless women and children murdered at the hands of violent men’
‘We are speaking up because we feel organisations and culture in general don’t see the violence we experience; they don’t help us women get justice and continue to blame us’
Women are unsafe. We face gender-based abuse and cultural misogyny globally, in the UK and right here in Manchester. We have spoken out over and over again about how violence against women and girls is widespread and the fear we experience daily. We have spoken out in communities, consultations, in policy work, research, in gender-based abuse strategies, conferences and meetings – we have spoken out until our voices are broken and yet now, we have to speak out yet again. Our safety, regardless of immigration status, is our basic right as women. It is our universal human right to live free from abuse, be protected when we do and have equality to get the law and justice systems. Because we all have no recourse to public funds or are fleeing persecution by seeking asylum we end up suffering more. At this moment we demand that all women’s voices are included in the conversation about how we as a society move forward. To do this our voices as migrant women must be included as well as our experiences of racism and the fact that the hostile environment purposefully wrecks our ability to keep ourselves and our children safe. We need our leaders, all politicians, local decision makers and all police forces including Greater Manchester Police listen to women and take action to properly investigate how violence against women is seen and responded to.
Survivors Group Collective