Shakti Women’s Aid offers lifeline services to migrant and BME women, helping them escape cycles of gender-based violence and navigate complex challenges around safety, housing, and legal aid.
Written by Nikita Jain
For many migrant women who move to the West, especially after getting married, life can be isolating. It becomes more difficult, especially when you do not have a supportive partner or family.
There have been numerous instances of gender-based violence against migrant women in the United Kingdom, leaving them alone and isolated.
Gender-based violence includes sexual violence and exploitation, forced and child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM). It also covers honour-based violence, domestic violence and violence between partners. It can be physical, psychological, sexual, or emotional and includes controlling another person’s money or things.
For women who especially leave their homeland in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the situation becomes even more miserable. With their families being far away, they have nowhere to go but stay with their husbands or in-laws.
However, a number of organisations support women from ethnic minority backgrounds and help them to build a new life. One such organisation is Shakti Women’s Aid. Shakti Women’s Aid was a charity established in 1985 in Scotland to support all Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Women and their children. The organisation originally offered support provisions in Edinburgh but has since expanded to various parts of Scotland which includes Lothian, Dundee, Fife and Falkirk.
Shakti helps BME women, their children and women experiencing or fleeing domestic abuse from a partner, ex-partner, or other members of the household.
“We provide practical and emotional support. We have various services that cater towards the needs of women and children,” Sweety Sharma, Outreach Team Leader at Shakti Women’s Aid, told Migrant Women Press in an interview.
Sharma, who has been working with the organisation for three years, has been passionate about the issue and wanted to help women who were fleeing from domestic abuse.
According to Sharma, the organisation has seen a stark jump in the number of gender-based violence against BME women. “Last year, we worked with around 781 women who were going through some kind of abuse,” she said.
She further said that from October 2023 to October 2024, they have “390 new referrals”.
Sharma, however, pointed out that the increase in numbers could also be directed towards more women coming out and reporting abuse.
“The cases are still increasing, but the positive side is there is more awareness now. We are trying our best to have a voice for BME women and to get that support,” she added.
Services provided
Not only does Shakti Women’s Aid help these women find safe accommodation, but it also guides them in going to the police and filing cases against the abuser. In a lot of cases, many women are also not well versed in their immigration status and are left hanging and unsure about their future.
The organisation helps women with their immigration process as well.
Sharma explained that the organisation partners with the Scotland Police to help these women.
“In terms of how we help with the institutional level, we provide continuous training and awareness sessions to the mainstream and statutory organisations on how they can support BME women and their understanding of domestic abuse when it comes to the women belonging to these communities. We take part in Scottish government consultations roundtable events to provide BME perspective in the elimination of violence against women and girls,” Sharma explained.
The organisation also works along with other similar places to provide women with a safe space.
These consultations become imperative for these organisations to understand the cultural perspective of the communities these women are coming from. Besides that, the women also face language barrier issues for which the organisation has specialist organisations like Shakti Remove Language Barrier. “This is where we make sure that the survivor has a proper interpreter. And if possible, not from the same community, adapt to a non-judgmental culture of belief, and ensure a two-way dialogue where safe spaces can be provided,” she added.
There are detailed instructions for the organisations on how they can make the survivor’s life easy at this point.
BME women often express concerns of unconscious bias, racism, feeling of embarrassment and fear of police as well.
Sharma said that is generally from past experiences in their home country or the gaslighting that the perpetrator might have done in order to intimidate the survivor.
“This is why it is important to remove language barriers by providing interpreters and ensure your service is culturally sensitive and is inclusive,” Sharma added.
Shakti Women’s Aid provides women with safe accommodation, a place of refuge after they have been traumatised due to the gender-based violence they face at the hands of their partners and family.
The organisation also provides shared flats to the women. “We liaise with the councils of different areas to help them provide that accommodation. We provide practical support by, liaising them with an immigration lawyer, having that visa status clarified, then applying for benefits, applying for financial aid, and eventually helping them to move on to work,” she added.
Shakti Women’s Aid is partnering with Migrant Women Press for the 16-day campaign against gender-based violence. The campaign will bring together journalists from different countries to share stories from the perspective of migrant women and Black and minority ethnic women. As part of the campaign, the organisation held a workshop with journalists selected for the fellowship, focusing on the unique challenges faced by migrant and BME women, fostering a deeper understanding of their experiences and the issues they encounter.
Despite their relentless efforts, organisations like Shakti Women’s Aid receive limited financial support, which restricts their ability to provide comprehensive care. With adequate funding, these organisations could vastly improve the support available to migrant, Black, and minority ethnic victims and survivors.
Find more about Shakti Women’s Aid here.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or in need of urgent protection, call the police on 999.
For more info on where to find help, click here.
