Combating domestic abuse during Covid-19

Becky Rogerson (CF 2011) is Director of the domestic violence charity Wearside Women in Need, which has seen a 50% increase in survivors using their refuges since lockdown begun. Currently Becky is working with the local Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and other partner agencies to produce a plan to support survivors of domestic violence across Northumbria.

Becky is also working with the local authority to create a pilot project providing guidelines on how friends and family can support loved ones who are experiencing domestic abuse. In addition, Becky sits on the board of trustees of Women’s Aid England, where she is advising on how specialist domestic abuse services can support survivors in the short and medium term during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Becky says, “Every week, something pops up from my Fellowship that supports my work. In central America, I witnessed a ‘bottom-up’ approach to dealing with domestic violence, where communities felt more empowered to support survivors. I feel that here in the UK we need to widen our scope of services to include support and advice for friends and family of those experiencing domestic abuse.”

Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan (CF 2020) is the founder and CEO of the Zinthiya Trust, a women’s charity that alleviates abuse and poverty in Leicester and Leicestershire. Adhering to social distancing measures, the Zinthiya Trust is continuing to operate their normal face-to-face support service to domestic violence survivors. The charity is also providing advice and support to survivors over the phone and through social media platforms.

Zinthiya has also reached out to other local organisations to deliver food parcels and sanitary products to domestic violence survivors who are living in refuges and safe homes. The Zinthiya Trust is also working with two locally-based charities, United Against Violence and Abuse and Victim First, to provide refuge accommodation to survivors. Zinthiya's work has also been published in Leicestershire magazine, Niche (page 8).

Zinthiya says, “Although usually the Zinthiya Trust is a support-based charity, the past few weeks have shown us that women who are victims of domestic violence are also struggling to access necessities like food. It’s more important than ever to work as a community so that we can deliver essential goods and services to vulnerable women.”