A UK perspective: Prevention of violence against Women and girls Turkey Study visit: 16th to 24th April 2017 Noreen Taylor Dean Ffion Storer Jones Yasmin Khan – Director - Staying Put

Maya Angelou “You are the sum total of everything you've ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot - it's all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.“

Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Prevalence of violence against women in the UK On average two women a week are killed by a violent partner or ex-partner in the UK. Black and minority ethnic (BME) and migrant women experience a disproportionate rate of domestic homicide. Up to 3 million women and girls across the UK experience rape, domestic violence, stalking, or other violence each year. In 2016 the Forced Marriage Unit advised over 1,428 people related to a possible forced marriage, 80% of whom were women and girls; 371 cases (26%) involved victims below 18 years of age and 497 cases (34%) involved victims aged 18-25

continued An estimated 170,000 women in England and Wales in 2016 had been subject to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and at least 65,000 girls were at risk of FGM Almost 1 in 3 girls have experienced unwanted sexual touching at school. The economic cost to society and the emotional cost to victims of VAWG is estimated to exceed £40 billion a year in the UK. This includes costs to health and social services, the criminal justice system, lost economic outputs and monetary proxies for human and emotional costs.

What survivors tell us about domestic abuse Coercive control is at the centre of domestic abuse 95% of women using a specialist domestic abuse service have experienced coercive control Lack of understanding of coercive control is at the root of most of the problems survivors experience at the hands of professionals

Causes of violence Gender inequality girls & boys treated differently Part of the culture – accepted behaviour Silence – it’s a taboo subject Lack of awareness – of what violence is and that it’s against human rights Lack of support – inadequate services/understanding Sex sells – use of sexy images by businesses to sell products Poverty, conflict or emergencies – can force girls and young women into abusive situations Harmful practices – in the name of “family honour”

How can we prevent vAWG? Change lives – build self esteem, protect girls and women and promote respect and empathy Change relationships – challenge discrimination, myths and stereotypes and build leadership skills Change communities – raise awareness, build partnerships and changing attitudes Change societies – promote the human rights of girls and women, challenge representations of women and girls.

Strategic Priorities Secure and implement an effective legislative and regulatory framework Create a fairer society Build a society without prejudice Promote understanding and awareness of rights and duties Build an authoritative and responsive strategy

Support for offenders Behaviour change programmes Risk assessment and management Integrated support service for partners / ex-partners Part of coordinated community response National standards & accreditation

Working together Strengthen impact and reach Provide a deeper understanding of regional context Build the evidence base Intelligence – linking local, national and International Transfer of expertise Capacity building Creating a joined up approach to supporting women who experience violence Disseminate good practice

Summary Survivors voices heard & not assumed. Professionals to respond to survivors as individuals Survivors central to recovery Early intervention - prevention most effective model, least cost - most impact. Collaborative working.

Discussion questions Is your current VAGW strategy effective? What kind of support do you provide to women and what difference does your service make? What support do you need in order to sustain this? What other services do you feel should be provided to women, but are not currently being provided? Are there any gaps in terms the support you receive from public sector organisations?

“Freedom cannot be achieved unless Women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression”

Thank you for listening Any Questions? Contact: Tel:01274 667104 www.stayingput.uk.net Email: yasmin@stayingput.uk.net Twitter – @StayingPutUK –– @ykhan100