Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week
Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week is held each year in the first week of February. This year, the dates fall between Monday, 5th February and Sunday, 11th February 2024. The purpose of the week is to raise awareness around Sexual Abuse and Violence, topics that are often deemed to be “hidden”, while also encouraging discussions among organisations.
As Scotland’s leading women’s rights organisation for Muslim & BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) women, Amina MWRC is committed to providing support and resources to women. Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence are topics that are often skirted around due to the gender-based nature of societal norms and taboos. Our team works hard to address this issue by offering services to prevent abuse and support women through our prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls project, as well as our Helpline service. The Amina Helpline has taken 168 calls for cases of sexual abuse from 2021 – 2022, and 85 calls in the last 6 months. Read on to find out about our work in preventing sexual abuse and violence.
Violence Against Women and Girls
Our VAWG Project is dedicated to preventing violence against women and girls in Scotland, by hosting a range of awareness workshops and training sessions on topics ranging from personal development to healthy relationships, while highlighting harmful habits among the youth. The team works hard to identify and research trends in abuse and violence particular to Muslim & BME communities that go unnoticed in society, including In-Law Abuse, Intergenerational Trauma, and Spiritual Abuse. The team has also run two successful cohorts of the Upward: Women on the Rise Programme for young women aged 16-22, which helped inform them of their rights, allowed them to engage with Scottish Parliament, and connect them with other women-led organisations including Glasgow Women’s Library, Rape Crisis Scotland and Emily Test.
Find out more about the VAWG Project here.
If you are looking for support after being sexually assaulted or raped, please visit this page for help.
Helpline and Befriending Services
Amina’s free Helpline and Befriending services are available to all Muslim or BME Women in Scotland. Equipped with qualified staff and volunteers, the Helpline is open Monday to Friday, from 10 am to 4pm at 0808 801 0301. Our team is highly experienced and trained in taking confidential calls to provide advice, guidance, and signpost to other relevant organisations to meet our clients’ specific needs. The befriending service supports women who suffer from social isolation through a weekly phone call, helping them to build their confidence and independence.
We have a highly multilingual team fluent in a range of South Asian and Middle Eastern languages, and are happy to accommodate your language requirements. The team also offers additional specialist clinics, including our monthly Visa & Immigration clinic, held the last Wednesday of each month from 1pm to 4pm, and our dedicated Alima (Muslim Scholar) who provides Islamic advice to women every Tuesday, from 10 am to 4 pm. Call our Helpline number between these times to avail our free services, or find out more about the Helpline & Befriending services here.
Support and Financial Advocacy Services
In addition to the Helpline, we offer two key support and advocacy services to meet our clients’ needs:
Domestic Abuse Advocacy Service
Sahara Scotland, our newest advocacy service, aims to help women who are victims of domestic abuse or coercive control in Scotland. The Sahara Scotland team is IDAA qualified, providing culturally sensitive support to Muslim & BME women in Scotland. To get in touch, email sahara@mwrc.org.uk.
Financial Advocacy Service
Our dedicated Financial Advocacy officer helps women understand their financial rights, assist them in making applications to benefits or grants, and administers Amina’s Hardship Fund for women experiencing a financial crisis. To contact our officer, email finadvice@mwrc.org.uk or call our helpline at 0808 801 0301.
Employability and Creative Wellbeing
In addition, Amina MWRC offers a range of supportive services for Muslim & BME Women. To help improve women’s employability skills, we host focused one-to-ones to cater to each client’s specific needs, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, and Adult Learning programmes.
We also host weekly workshops, engagement groups, and activities in Glasgow and Dundee, providing Muslim & BME Women with a safe space to learn, interact, and engage. All activities are free of cost and covered by our funding, unless otherwise stated. Join our Glasgow Creative Wellbeing group here, or our Dundee Creative Wellbeing here.
Find out more about our upcoming activities here.