Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to (a) consult specialist BME organisations as part of her Department's violence against women and girls strategy refresh and (b) ensure that strategy contains a section on the needs of abused (i) BME and (ii) migrant women when seeking protection.

Protecting women and girls from violence remains a key priority of this Government. In March 2019 we published a refreshed Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy to update and reinforce our commitment to tackling VAWG.

We are committed to the fight against VAWG and we welcome the views of people across civil society on how best to address these crimes.

We have met regularly with organisations that support BME victims and survivors to discuss both the VAWG Strategy and the Domestic Abuse Bill.

We have prioritised those at risk of domestic abuse throughout the coronavirus pandemic national health emergency, including BME victims.

When allocating some of our emergency funding packages to support the most vulnerable in society at this time, we have specifically encouraged bids from organisations who support minority groups, including BME victims of domestic abuse. We have, for example, allocated £51,714 to Southall Black Sisters, which supports female BME victims of domestic abuse and other forms of VAWG, to enable them to develop an online chat application and a national online referral form to manage the greater number of contacts which they have received as a result of the pandemic.

As part of the Domestic Abuse Bill, we have published draft statutory guidance setting out how individuals can be the victims of multiple and different abusive behaviours because of the way different characteristics, including immigration status, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic position and sexuality intersect and overlap, particularly in relation to accessing services and support if they are not adequately designed to meet their needs. The guidance also sets out how those from BME backgrounds may experience additional barriers to receiving help or reporting abuse.

In addition, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s role description states that they must adopt a specific focus on the needs of victims and survivors of domestic abuse from minority or marginalised groups with particular needs, such as victims who are BAME. A thematic lead within the Commissioner’s office will be identified for each of these groups.