Events

Efforts to decolonise research and practice in the VAWG sector have been growing in recent years. Critical and decolonial discussions have emerged around the concept of VAWG (and cognate terms) in recognitions of different understandings of violence across communities, how VAWG should be addressed in respect to diverse cultural and religious contexts, whether VAWG providers are sensitive and can engage with the religio-cultural backgrounds of their clients and how personal identities might influence the provision of services in a sector that does not eschew western and colonial cultural influences and is increasingly becoming transboundary and called to cater to multi-cultural clients. Funding restrictions, hierarchies and ideological limitations in the donor sector have also been problematised as part of an effort to address the more systematic, normative and ideological barriers for moving towards a more diverse, inclusive and community-grounded approach in the international VAWG sector.

In this webinar, we would like to enrich on-going decolonisation efforts in the sector by integrating practical perspectives from the ground to understand better how efforts to diversify and sensitise the sector to religious and cultural differences have translated to in practical terms, what obstacles such efforts have encountered, and what would need to be done more so that grassroots organisations can be more effective in their work in the UK and internationally.

Some of the questions driving this webinar are:

• What does decolonisation really mean to the VAWG sector?
• How do we make the VAWG sector more diverse and sensitive to difference and more inclusive in its practices?
• What are the practical obstacles to such efforts in view of political, ideological and funding regulatory systems?
• What are the implications of decolonisation of the ‘by & for’ UK-based organisations as well as grassroots organisations in the Global South?

The webinar will combine a series of presentations by practitioners from different disciplines and sectors who are experienced in responding to VAWG in multi-cultural and in migrant contexts, as well as practitioners in the wider Global South. The aim is to reflect on and respond to the questions guiding the webinar to achieve knowledge exchange and to farther cross-sectoral and cross-disciplinary learning. The presentations will be followed by a discussion with the audience, who will be welcome to share their own experiences and response to the webinar questions and presentations.

Building Bridges - Online Conference - Monday 29th November 10:30am - 12pm (GMT)

We understand due to the use and abuse of faith, spirituality and religion women can have a very difficult and complex relationship with faith or religion. From the various voices and narratives of many victim survivors, we also know that faith can be a source of empowerment and hope. Faith has helped them to root out feelings of shame and guilt. At the Faith and VAWG Coalition, we bring together organisations and activists working at the intersections of faith, race, ethnicity and violence against women and girls. Grassroots communities and faith groups have the power and potential to make a real difference in the lives of survivors and hold perpetrators to account.

This event seeks to break narratives given repeatedly to us to serve patriarchs and patriarchy where faith is weaponised and manipulated, we want faith to be used as a liberating wave in narratives and interpretations of theology and amplify the voices of women and girls with our vision and goal to create safe spaces and platforms where women and women led VAWG organisations especially from Black and Minoritised communities share ideas and narratives to ensure women live with dignity and they reclaim their agency within religious and faiths they identify with.

The launch event will share experiences of diverse VAWG and faith communities and how they are building bridges and its positive impact on survivors.