ASYLUM FROM RAPE
70% of women seeking asylum in the UK have suffered rape and other sexual violence. But women needing safety for themselves and their children face the same brutal lack of care and injustice as women who are raped in the UK. Despite national and international legal precedents recognising gender-based persecution, rape victims still face horrific obstacles in claiming protection for example instead of getting help to overcome, the difficulties they face in speaking about their experiences, these difficulties are used to disbelieve and dismiss their accounts. We found 88% of women are disbelieved by the Home Office. Legal aid cuts have compounded the injustice they face, denying them representation at hearings and expert reports which could corroborate their claims. See our research documenting this.
Urgent Christmas appeal for destitute women and children Dear Friends, As Christmas and the school holidays are almost here, we write to ask again if you could kindly donate to our annual Christmas appeal for destitute women and children in the All African Women’s Group (AAWG) — the self-help group of women asylum seekers based with …
Bullied into “Voluntary” Returns At a recent All African Women’s Group meeting, the chair asked whether any women in the group had experience of being forced to sign to return to their country of origin or knew of others that had been. We found out that many women had been taken into back rooms, in …
London women tell UN poverty envoy about impact of welfare cuts Residents of deprived Newham describe domestic abuse and hunger to Philip Alston Women in London have told the UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty they are bearing the brunt of government welfare cuts, and described how austerity has left infants homeless and exacerbated problems …
RESPONSE to the Home Affairs Committee Report on DOMESTIC ABUSE Press release Black Women’s Rape Action Project & Women Against Rape We welcome the Committee’s recognition of many of the issues raised in the evidence we and other women’s groups submitted. But they should have gone much further, especially in the following areas: 1. Welfare …
Terrific news – Brigitte Nongo-Wa-Kitwa’s daughters landed last Friday (11 May) at Heathrow after an exhausting 10 hour journey from Kinshasa. Brigitte and Cristel from Black Women’s Rape Action Project, who has worked with Brigitte at every stage of her case, waited anxiously as the daughters were held for an extra hour after other passengers …
Submission to Home Affairs Committee Immigration Detention Inquiry Black Women’s Rape Action Project (BWRAP) was founded in 1991. Women Against Rape (WAR) was founded in 1976. Together the two organisations have worked closely with women in detention, particularly in Yarl’s Wood IRC, over many years documenting the traumatic impact of rape and other violence on …
Brigitte’s pro-bono legal team at Kingsley Napley have just announced that they will cover the full cost of her daughters air fares! Brigitte is overwhelmed by the kindness and the generosity, not only of her solicitors, but of everyone who has been moved to make immediate donations. A further £172 has been received so far. …
Statement against the Family Returns Process . . . End Detention, End Deportation, We All Have the Right to be Here We are the All African Women’s Group. Many of us have been in detention. We know the terrible impact it has. Women are on hunger strike right now against the torture of detention. We …
STOP PRESS: Emergency Demo Solidarity with Yarl’s Wood hunger strikers 4-5pm, Wed 28 Feb, outside the Home Office, Marsham Street, SW1P 4DF. Called by Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants: co-hosted with All African Women’s Group, Black Women’s Rape Action Project, Docs Not Cops, End Deportations, Right to Remain, SOAS Detainee Support, The London Latinxs, …
Yarl’s Wood: Women on Hunger Strike “Our rights in here are being violated every day” Over 100 women in Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre began a hunger strike on Wednesday 21 February. The women from Avocet and Dove units along with a few men on the family wing are refusing food and are planning further …
