This is the second instalment of the VAWGRN 2021 webinar series. Find us on Twitter @VAWGRN and on www.vawgnetwork.mdx.ac.uk.

Facilitator:
Ankita Mishra (University of Sheffield)

Ankita Mishra is a PhD researcher in the Department of Psychology at the University of Sheffield. Her PhD research project focuses on understanding the challenges experienced by women from the minority ethnic communities in the UK during the pandemic, especially in their home lives and intimate partner relationships. She strongly believes that it is important to understand the concerns and challenges of the Black and minoritised survivors in order to inform the response and policy frameworks which otherwise tend to take a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach while addressing the issues of domestic abuse service provision for all the survivors of abuse.

Panelists:

Sarah Davidge, Women's Aid Federation of England

Sarah Davidge is the Research and Evaluation Manager at Women’s Aid Federation of England and has worked at Women’s Aid for 13 years in a range of roles within the membership and research teams. Sarah leads a number of projects providing an evidence base for the experiences of survivors of domestic abuse and the specialist services supporting them, including the No Woman Turned Away project which supports women facing barriers to accessing refuge. Her research has included the 2019 reports The Economics of Abuse looking at the relationship between economic resources and domestic abuse, and Funding Specialist Support for Domestic Abuse Survivors which looks at the investment needed to create a sustainable support sector which is accessible to all women. Sarah is currently leading on work looking at the impact of Covid-19 on survivors and services which has included the 2020 report A Perfect Storm: The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on domestic abuse survivors and the services supporting them.

Huda Jawa, Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse is a national charity bringing communities together to end domestic abuse. Huda is co-chair of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, a national coalition of organisations and activists working to end VAWG and former Lead Organiser of Women’s March London, the grassroots national movement to fight misogyny and racism in London and the UK. Leading track record in campaigning, project management, training and systems entrepreneurship in intersectional work, violence against women & girls and anti-racist activism.

Debbie Thackray, Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU)

Debbie’s teaching and research includes working with women who have been subjected to domestic abuse/coercive control and the impact of domestic abuse on the woman and her children, from a feminist perspective. She has been involved in the domestic abuse field in the voluntary sector (Independent Choices) since 2007 and also sits on the domestic abuse forum for Manchester (on behalf of the social care and social work department as key stakeholders).

Debbie contributed to the development of the Manchester Domestic Abuse Strategy 2016-2020 and started work at MMU in July 2002. Her past experience includes working in community mental health services in the voluntary sector including the management of a survivors’ service for women who had been sexually abused as children (1996-2002)

Zlakha Ahmed MBE, CEO Apna Haq

Zlakha is the founder of Apna Haq and has over 21 years of experience developing and overseeing violence against women support services at a local level, while influencing strategy, policy and procedure at a regional, national, European and global level.

In 2016, Zlakha was awarded an MBE award by the Queen for her outstanding service to the community. One year later, she was awarded the Asian Achievers Award for Community Service.