White Ribbon Day: Raising awareness on gender based violence
The White Ribbon campaign is a global movement to raise awareness of violence against women and girls. Lewisham has always been proud to be an accredited White Ribbon borough and this year we look forward to campaigning, with online webinars and conferences.
Increase in domestic abuse
The campaign has particular poignancy this year as we have seen a sharp increase in the number of people accessing domestic abuse services since the start of the pandemic. Tragically, there has also been an increase in the number of domestic abuse killings that have taken place as we entered into national lockdown earlier this year.
Domestic abuse can take many forms including psychological, economic, sexual, physical, digital, and coercive control. It may be difficult to recognise the signs of abuse. Refuge has created a list of questions to help people spot the patterns of behaviour of abusive partners. Although the prevalence of domestic abuse has reduced since 2005, there are still some 2.4 million victims each year in England and Wales.
While the government has instructed people to spend more time at home during lockdown, it is important to remind residents that you do not need to stay at home if you are being abused. Lewisham Council is committed to ensuring that the borough is a welcoming place of safety for all.
Each year thousands of people stand up, speak out and say no to violence. If you are concerned about the safety of yourself or somebody else, please do not hesitate to contact any of the above services. Help is available to anybody who needs it and we urgently need to work together to prevent violence and make sure our communities and homes are safe for everyone.
We would like to use White Ribbon Day as a reminder of what support is available to residents who are experiencing or are at risk of domestic abuse:
If you are in immediate danger
If you are in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you are unable to talk, call 999 and press 55. This will transfer you to a police officer who will help you without you having to speak.
Help and support for people experiencing or at risk of abuse
Athena is a confidential, non-judgemental service to support those living in Lewisham who are experiencing gender-based violence. The service provides outreach programmes, independent advocacy, group support, refuge accommodation and a specialist service for young women.
If you are in Lewisham, you can call the Athena Service for free on 0800 112 4052 or email lewishamvawg@refuge.org.uk
The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is a team of highly-trained female advisers who can empower you to understand your options and support you to make any decisions about the future. They offer support to increase your safety, including finding a refuge place or other specialist services.
Women’s Aid has created resources specifically for those experiencing domestic abuse during Covid-19, including a live chat service.
We will be marking White Ribbon Day for 16 days to acknowledge the different forms of violence and the range of people who may be victims. Although the statistics indicate that women are two times more likely to experience domestic abuse than men, we recognise that men and boys can also be victims of gender-based violence whether it be committed by another man or by a woman.
Other sources for support include The Men’s Advice Line, a confidential helpline for male victims of domestic abuse, and Galop, a specialist helpline for LGBTQ+ people.