Domestic Abuse, Structural Inequality and Lockdown

On the 20th of May 2021, the webinar ‘Violence Against Women and Girls at Home: Domestic Abuse and the Pandemic’, hosted by the Women’s Network at the University of Greenwich, provided a brilliantly delivered account of the realities of women and girls who are victims of gender-based violence in their own homes. It was a sobering and thought-provoking event, which provided extremely interesting, in-depth, informative and valuable accounts of domestic violence, both from the perspectives of victims and service providers. The inspiring speakers at this event were Dr Camille Stengel from the University of Greenwich, Director Marianne Moore from Justice Studio, Director Pragna Patel from Southall Black Sisters and Rebecca Goshawk from Solace Women’s Aid, and it was chaired by Dr Giulia Zampini from the University of Greenwich.

In response to the growing issue of domestic abuse during lockdown, Solace Women’s Aid partnered up with Southall Black Sisters and with other services that support victims of violence against women and girls (VAWG). They have set up an emergency crisis refuge provision with the help of funding provided by London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust. In order to gain a better understanding of the impact that the pandemic had on the experiences of domestic abuse survivors, Solace Women’s Aid, Justice Studio and the University of Greenwich have partnered on a piece of pioneering research, which took place in London between April and November 2020. This research resulted in a truly insightful report. An animated video that summarises this research was also produced. The contribution of the University of Greenwich in this pioneering research consists of the ethical approval provided, the direct involvement of Dr Camille Stengel in the research, the translation of the recruitment materials by her colleagues in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the funding for the transcripts provided by the Early Career Research Network.

Home is probably the place where most people feel the safest and the most comfortable. Or, at least, that is how it should be. However, sadly, for many women and girls, home is the most dangerous place on Earth. That is because home is also where their perpetrators live. The feeling of safety in our own home should be the norm, not a privilege. Nevertheless, worldwide, one in three women have experienced domestic abuse at some point during their life. This is a problem that is deeply rooted in society, and one which must be ended. In March 2020, the coronavirus pandemic prompted the UK Government to order everybody to ‘stay safe’ by ‘staying at home’. But for victims of domestic violence, these are dichotomous. One of the main findings from the aforementioned report is that the lockdown did not cause this problem, but it certainly exacerbated the conditions under which domestic abuse occurs and remains undetected for longer. All these women need help and protection from their abusers. They need a home that feels like home.

It is true that any person could become a victim of domestic abuse. However, the reality is that most victims are women and most perpetrators are men. Furthermore, 65% of Solace Women’s Aid’s service users are Black or minoritised women. These facts are a reflection of how deeply domestic abuse is rooted in structural inequalities and patriarchy, factors that must be taken into account. The covid-19 lockdown exacerbated the conditions under which the abuse can occur because it gave more power to the perpetrators, while drastically reducing the opportunity for victims to seek help from their closed ones or from their health service providers. Solace Women’s Aid reported a drastic drop in the calls received from domestic abuse survivors in April 2020. This highlights the gravity of the situation. Not only were victims suffering more abuse, but they were also incapacitated, imprisoned in their own home, with very limited chances to ask for help. Later, when schools re-opened in September 2020, Solace Women’s Aid experienced a 138% increase in calls. Survivors finally had a chance to seek help, after months of abuse and suffering in silence. It is deeply saddening to think about how these women and girls where caged, voiceless, within the space where they should be able to feel safe. The never-ending spiral of psychological and physical abuse they have endured in silence is unthinkable, but we must think about it.

The emergency crisis refuge set up by Solace Women’s Aid and Southall Black Sisters provided shelter and holistic support to 160 women, of which 60 had no recourse to public funds, and 101 children. However, much more is needed: more beds and more funding. Having no recourse to public funds means, for women with an insecure migration status, not receiving any funding or any help from the Government to escape their abuser. These domestic abuse survivors risk detention and deportation if they report their abuse. Let that sink in. The Government should do better in supporting them, as there is no justice in punishing victims for reporting their abuse.

The pioneering research report provides recommendations on how victims of domestic abuse should be better supported. In summary, the system could do better by:

• the Government should collaborate with the VAWG sector and ensure their upcoming VAWG strategy will provide long-term sustainable funding to help victims;
• local authorities should provide sanctuary schemes open for all survivors;
• local authorities should have a multi-agency, trauma-informed strategic approach to help VAWG victims, as their complex needs require their service providers to be adequately trained, to provide them with appropriate support and avoid further traumatisation;
• the Domestic Abuse Bill should be amended to provide for migrant women and the no recourse to public funds rule should be abolished, in order to end the threat of reporting, detention and deportation, which discourages victims to seek help;
• the police should review their protocols for helping women of colour and those without English as their first language, to ensure their practices are trauma-informed and in line with anti-sexist and anti-racist approaches.

All women and girls deserve to have a home that feels like home. Organisations are trying their best to support them, and their work is lifesaving, but they are under resourced and they need more financial support in order to holistically help more women to escape abuse. We can achieve a future where all women feel safe in their home, but we need to work together. This webinar provided a comprehensive account on the different facets of domestic abuse and it was truly eye-opening, sobering and inspiring.

Lidia Stoica, MSc Criminology and Criminal Psychology, University of Greenwich