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Racism and other intersecting barriers to accessing safety and support

We need to work actively to make spaces and services safe and inclusive for women from all backgrounds and situations, and remove barriers to support due to migrant status, ethnicity, language, neurodiversity, disability and other aspects of lived experience.

rainbow flower

Racism and other intersecting barriers to accessing safety and support

We need to work actively to make spaces and services safe and inclusive for women from all backgrounds and situations, and remove barriers to support due to migrant status, ethnicity, language, neurodiversity, disability and other aspects of lived experience.

Communities like ours need to work actively to provide safe spaces for women who have experienced domestic/sexual violence often in addition to immigration abuse, harmful practices such as FGM, sexual exploitation, forced marriage, trafficking and HBV/A perpetrated through varying cultural and social lenses by intimate partners, family members and or community members. A safe space may be a specialist service, or a respectful and anti-racist organisation providing help around domestic abuse. A safe space is often needed to address other barriers, particularly for women who are destitute and homeless, or living in unstable or unsafe housing without support networks. Safe spaces are needed by migrant women who also have complex immigration issues, no recourse to public funds, face racial discrimination and harassment, hate crime and economic exploitation. Being trauma informed also means properly listening to and hearing women’s and girls’ lived experience, in all its diverse, cultural and unique aspects, and shaping our understanding of safe spaces accordingly.

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This service has saved my mental health and has provided a safe service whilst helping with coping mechanisms for the future.

- Lena

Latest news

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Thank you to the winning team of The Rotork Community Challenge who created our 16 days of action campaign and raised awareness and money for Voices.

You are amazing!

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Voices will be closed for the Winter Break from Saturday 20th December and will reopen on Monday 6th January 2025

Please find details of other useful agencies here: And remember if you are scared / feel at risk of harm or are worried about someone else always call 999. Help for anyone feeling low: and The Voices team wish you a very Merry holiday season! See you in January, Voices Team

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Domestic Abuse Advisory Group launches new ‘Guide to Family Court Proceedings’

Backed by victims and judiciary, to de-mystify family court process for all, VOICES are very proud to be part of the Local Family Justice Board’s (LFJB) Domestic Abuse Advisory group, formed of experts from all professions involved in the family court.