Breaking down the specific barriers faced by Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) women must be central to the bill.
This is from the September 2018 report (pdf) from the APPG on Domestic Violence and Abuse which makes key recommendations for the Government on issues to cover in forthcoming Domestic Abuse Bill
The APPG welcomes the proposed bill as a landmark opportunity to transform the national response to survivors of domestic abuse.
The APPG has the following key asks for the bill:
- A sustainable, long-term and secure funding model for specialist domestic abuse services, most urgently refuges, including those specific services for BME women, LGBT women and disabled women, and specialist support for children who have experienced domestic abuse
- A violence against women and girls (VAWG) commissioner, who has the power to effectively enforce a clear framework of national accountability for the resourcing, quality and provision of services
- Migrant survivors, including survivors on non-spousal visas and all those who have no recourse to public funds due to their immigration status, should have full and equal access to all the services and support they need
- ‘Priority need’ status for housing extends to all survivors of domestic abuse, with clear guidance that local authorities should accept all survivors of domestic abuse who present themselves as homeless, regardless of their local connection, under the local connection criteria of the homelessness legislation.
