Southall Black Sisters (SBS) is a leading organisation for black and minority women and girls in the UK. It aims to highlight and challenge all forms of gender-related violence against women, empower BME women to gain more control over their lives, live without fear of violence, and assert their human rights to justice, equality and freedom.
SBS provide information, advice, advocacy, practical help, counselling and support to women and children experiencing domestic and other forms of gender-related violence. They also undertake policy and research, and run campaigns on key issues facing the women they support.
Why this work is needed:
Women from Black, Asian or minority ethnic communities experiencing violence face additional barriers to accessing the support they need. Generic domestic abuse services often do not have the knowledge and expertise to be able to support them fully. Specialist BME organisations like Southall Black Sisters play a critical role as they are run by and for BME women who are able to provide appropriate, tailored, accessible support. Time and again, BME women report that they value and need this specialised support.
Despite the fundamental role that services like Southall Black Sisters play in supporting women and the high demand for them, there are not enough BME women’s services. Due to funding cuts, these services are at risk of closure. In fact, in recent years many have already closed. This cannot continue.
How ratification would help:
The Convention requires protection and support for all women and girls from violence - and it ensures the provision of specialist services, including those for BME women.
Article 22 of the Convention states that countries that ratify the Istanbul Convention must ‘take the necessary legislative or other measures to provide or arrange for, in an adequate geographical distribution, immediate, short- and long-term specialist support services’ for women who have experienced violence.
This would help ensure the continued provision of specialist services, such as those provided by Southall Black Sisters. It would ensure enough specialist support services, when and where women need them. This would include immediate, short and long-term specialist support services for all forms of violence covered in the Convention.
This is why we are calling on the UK to ratify the Istanbul Convention: to protect organisations like Southall Black Sisters and their vital work to support women and girls.
Take Action
Sign the petition to ratify the Istanbul Convention and protect the vital work of Southall Black Sisters and organisations like them.
Support Southall Black Sisters