ABOUT #RISETOGETHER
Violence against women is a crime of near epidemic proportions. One in four women in the UK will experience domestic violence in the course of her lifetime. And while it is a crime that is blind to whose life it affects – rich and poor, young and old – we know that many Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Women (BME) across the UK face additional hurdles seeking help and protection.
Overall, 40% of BME women live in poverty. BME and refugee women experience higher rates of domestic homicide and are 3 times more likely to commit suicide than other women in the UK. 50% of BME women victims of violence experience abuse from multiple perpetrators.
There is hope for many of these victims who require specialist services to escape from violent situations: brilliant, effective, driven and dedicated organisations, led often by BME women themselves. These incredible not-for-profits work tirelessly across the UK to ensure that women who are multiply marginalised can receive support that truly understands them: their culture, their language and their needs.
Many of these organisations often find fundraising difficult: they struggle to invest in themselves when there are always more women who need their support. But their staff, leaders and volunteers are key to creating sustainable solutions for BME women across the country.
These organisations are Apna Haq, Ashiana Network, IMECE Women’s Centre, Latin American Women’s Aid(LAWA), and the Latin American Women’s Rights Service(LAWRS). Rise Together will be crowdfunding to benefit these five organisations. The collaboration will continue into 2019 as we work to build deeper relationships with funders, investors and institutions dedicated to ending violence against women by supporting high impact BME-led organisations.
Throughout the year, GMSP Foundation, supported by I.G. Advisors and Social Misfits Media, have been working closely with these organisations to give them the long-term fundraising and communication skills they need to succeed. Through a series of bootcamps, these organisations are poised to lead the Rise Together Campaign and use the money raised to build their own teams and capacity so they can help more women across the country.
We welcome your support – let’s Rise Together.