South Shields event to raise awareness of violence against women and girls

Women across South Tyneside are being invited to attend an event to raise awareness about violence and abuse against women and girls.
Members of the Women Together projectMembers of the Women Together project
Members of the Women Together project

The event, which takes place at 10am on Wednesday, May 18, at the Customs House, will also highlight the support for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) women living in the borough.

Over the past year, Sangini and Apna Ghar have collaborated on a project Women Together Partnership, funded by Comic Relief to deliver a year-long project to BAME women, especially those experiencing violence and abuse.

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Using arts and crafts, the women have taken an active role in the project and learnt to express their feelings and emotions, whilst engaging in training about the challenges encountered by vulnerable women.

Artworks produced by participants in the partnership will be on showArtworks produced by participants in the partnership will be on show
Artworks produced by participants in the partnership will be on show

A trustee at Apna Ghar said: “Both Apna Ghar and Sangini serve women from a breadth of South Asian, African, Middle Eastern, and South East Asian diaspora in Sunderland, South Tyneside and County Durham, suffering from mental health conditions, anxiety and depression.

"We wanted to empower women with information, knowledge and skills that would help to improve their understanding and knowledge of their rights and options.”

Women Together Partnership (WTP) is a culmination of the past three years of collaboration and partnership between five BAME women’s groups in South Tyneside who came together with the goal of assisting and informing black women in the Tyne and Wear community who are having difficult time such as domestic violence and mental health issues.

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This project also gives women the opportunity to build new skills and gain confidence in their capacity to express themselves through art, craft activities,

Artworks produced by participants in the partnership will be on showArtworks produced by participants in the partnership will be on show
Artworks produced by participants in the partnership will be on show

and domestic abuse awareness training, all of which encourages them to share and seek support.

Padma Rao, project manager, said: “This has been a very important project for both organisations because we have been working hard to address these issues through our services. However, working collaboratively on this project has enabled us to pool our resources and share our expertise and knowledge in this area.

"Through arts we have been able to provide a platform for women to express their plight and raise awareness about this among BAME women.”

The event includes a variety of activities for women to showcase their art works created during the WTP’s Art therapy sessions which is conducted by Parvin Abdur, a talented artist in the community. as well as introduce them to information that can help them, such as emergency contact numbers and other agencies that they can seek help from aside from the project’s partners.