Blog Posts:
“Leaving No Woman Behind” posted August 27th 2020
“Government Policy Helps Domestic Abusers” posted September 25th 2020
“Tech-Based Trauma and Mental Health Support for Domestic Abuse Survivors Workshop” posted October 5th 2020
Background:
The COVID-19 Taskforce on Domestic Violence UK/EU is composed of student volunteers from the UK and EU who want to contribute to efforts against domestic violence (DV), and in support of survivors. In particular, the taskforce has aimed to provide support to DV services who have seen a catastrophic rise in DV during the pandemic. Since March 2020, the taskforce has been compiling and creating resources for survivors, allies, and DV organisations, and is currently holding a series of panel events. The taskforce’s goals are:
To center the experiences and issues of survivors who find themselves at the intersection of various forms of oppression, such as Black and minority ethnic women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and migrants. These survivors face specific forms of harm, compounded by hostile government agencies, authorities, and social environments, that DV organizations are not always prepared to address. These individuals have also been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, and by the heightened pressure it has placed on underfunded DV services.
To facilitate communication and the transfer of knowledge and procedure between existing DV organizations, and from DV organizations to the public. For example, for our first panel discussion we were joined by representatives of DV organizations that have specialized in the issues of survivors with an insecure immigration status. The panel offered a space where other DV organizations could hear about the unique challenges of migrant survivors and the ways their needs can be properly addressed. In subsequent blog posts, we aimed to share these resources to other organizations as well as members of the public at large.
To collect and communicate data and information on DV from various sources, in order to influence the discourse around DV and contribute to policy change. For example, the taskforce has been trying to raise awareness and contribute to campaigning efforts around the 2020 DA Bill’s exclusion of migrant women.
To offer concrete and immediate help to DV organizations, mainly around communication efforts. The taskforce has been providing services in graphic production and fundraising to DV organizations.
The taskforce has mainly focused on UK issues so far, but they are also interested in European (and worldwide) issues at large. The work of the taskforce can be found at taskforceuk.vercel.app, and they can also be found on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.