Clare Laxton, Director of Communications and Influencing
Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and starts the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence. All very grand terms but what they boil down to is that these 16 days are an opportunity to raise awareness of violence against women and girls, their experiences and what needs to change. At Pause we know that the women we work with are disproportionately affected by violence and abuse, particularly domestic abuse. That’s why we wanted to mark the 16 days and raise awareness of the impact of domestic abuse on the women we work with and their families.
One in every 20 women have experienced extensive physical or sexual violence and abuse across their life course. This equates to 1.2 million women in England alone. But these 16 days aren’t about facts and figures, they’re about hearing women’s voices, listening to their experiences, the impact of abuse and supporting change to end violence and abuse. That’s what Pause Practices are doing every day, throughout the UK. Supporting women to talk about their experiences, sometimes for the first time; giving them opportunities to express how they feel about the violence they experienced through creative methods and being there, for them, to hear how the violence impacted on them, their families and their children.
There is no simple, quick easy fix to end domestic abuse and the devastating toll it takes on women, children and families but by talking about it, raising awareness of the issues and exploring how we can support women we are doing something. Over the next 16 days that’s exactly what we’ll be doing on the Pause website and social media – as well as highlighting the great work being done by other organisations. Join us and support #16Days.
If you need help or support then please see below for some useful websites:
- Women’s Aid (England)
- Scottish Women’s Aid
- Women’s Aid Northern Ireland
- Welsh Women’s Aid
- Rights of Women
- Imkaan
If you have any questions or want to get in touch please drop us an email on communications@pause.org.uk