Scottish Charity Awards: Vote for Never Allowed!
We’re excited to announce that our campaign on Extended Family Abuse is a Finalist for SCVO’s Scottish Charity Awards – but we need your help to win!
Vote for Never Allowed: Amina MWRC’s Campaign on In-Law Abuse as Scottish Charity Campaign of the Year! Voting is open until Friday, 24th May.
Never Allowed was our Campaign for 16 Days of Action Against Gender-Based Violence. The campaign is close to our hearts as it highlights the occurrence and severity of domestic abuse perpetuated by a partner’s family, a practice that is highly common in Muslim & BME community.
For the Campaign, we worked with Syma Ahmed, BME Development Officer at Glasgow Women’s Library, to speak with over 90 BME women and capture their experiences of extended family abuse. We published our findings in our “Sabr, Silence and Struggles” report. Throughout the study, there was a phrase commonly repeated by many women:
“I was never allowed…”
This phrase prompted our Never Allowed Short Film and Digital Campaign, highlighting phrases spoken by the women that conveyed the nature of the abuse and coercive control they experienced from their In-Laws. For more information about the campaign, read this blog that our VAWG Prevention Officer Rabia Roshan wrote for Rape Crisis Scotland.
Our campaign highlights the need for change around Scottish legislation. At present, legislation defines domestic abuse as being perpetrated by a partner or ex-partner only. In reality, many Muslim & BME women experience domestic abuse from their in-laws. Our Campaign offers a compelling visual narrative to emphasise the urgency of addressing this form of violence within communities.
As Scotland’s leading women’s rights organisation, we are advocating to Scottish Government to extend the definition of domestic abuse to include In-Law Abuse. This will help to ensure that the definition better reflects the experiences of all women in Scotland. Amina aims to encourage dialogue, advocacy, and societal change to end In-Law Abuse, and ensure the safety and rights of Muslim & BME women in Scotland.
If you are struggling due to extended family abuse, please call our Helpline, Monday to FRiday from 10 am to 4 pm at 0808 801 0301
Amina MWRC is Scotland’s leading women’s rights organisation for Muslim and BME Women. To find out more about our work, read our blog on the key services that we offer. or listen to our podcast. Find out more about our upcoming activities by visiting the events calendar. Our calendar is regularly updated with exciting activities across Scotland!