You are hereBlogs / Joanne's blog / Funding cuts threaten services to women in the UK
Funding cuts threaten services to women in the UK
The ICAHK website is a project started by IKWRO, an organisation based in London which works to help women and girls who speak Kurdish, Farsi, Dari, Turkish and Arabic in the UK. IKWRO deal with thousands of calls every year and offer advocacy and advice in cases of domestic violence, forced marriage and 'honour'-based violence (HBV). Over the period 2008-09, we were able to assist 85 individuals who faced potential 'honour'-based violence through the efforts of our volunteers and staff. Whilst receiving praise for our services from the police and the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), we have faced two recent devastating funding cuts. Firstly, a grant for a Kurdish outreach worker was not renewed by the FMU, who have a very limited budget; and secondly, the government, in breach of its own agreement, rescinded a grant for campaign workers after it had been granted.
While the UK Government is publicly committed to combatting violence against women in general and forced marriage and 'honour'-based violence in particular, it remains reluctant to back this up with financial support. Victims of forced marriage, for example, are required to take out loans to pay for their flights home if they need to be repatriated. The 'Honour Network Helpline' (a project by Karma Nirvana, which operates with IKWRO's collaboration) faces having to restrict its services and ultimately may close due to lack of support -- even though it had received 6,702 calls between April and September, and even though the reported rate of HBV and forced marriage in the UK is increasing.
So I'm asking you to:
- Sign this petition for the reinstatement of funding for IKWRO
- Sign this petition for the continuation of funding for the Honour Network Helpline
- Consider making a donation to IKWRO
- UK citizens: Contact your MP and ask them to support Jenny Wilmott MP's Early Day Motion
Many women in the UK are desperate for our support -- and we are desperate for yours.
- Joanne's blog
- Login or register to post comments
I just wrote to my own MP:
-------------------------
Dear XXXXXXX,
I am a volunteer for a London-based organisation called IKWRO Women's Rights Organisation, which works with women from the Middle East and Central Asia, providing advocacy and support to protect women against violence. Our website at www.ikwro.org.uk provides an insight into the nature of our work, including some recent interviews.
You may be aware that the Government recently withdrew promised funding to a number of small charities in violation of its own Compact. Our charity was one of those affected. It's been a devastating blow to our services which can mean the difference between life and death for women at risk of so-called 'honour' killings -- IKWRO were able to help 85 women at risk of this last year.
I'm asking you to support Jenny Wilmott's EDM to ask for the reinstatement of this funding. Here is a link to further information: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news_detail.aspx?title=Government_must_reinsta...
Yours sincerely,
There is no honour in killing