WOMEN showed solidarity with rape and sexual assault survivors outside Jesse Norman’s office in Hereford.
Their demonstration was targeted at the Conservative Party, which they say has starved to local authorities funding to support services for victims like WMRSASC (West Mercia Rape and Sexual Abuse Center).
Herefordshire Women’s Equality Group organized the demonstration.
They said it was not a personal attack on Hereford and South Herefordshire Conservation MP Jesse Norman, with whom they worked on the funding crisis.
OTHER NEWS:
Barbara Shore, organizer of the HMEG demonstration, said: “We ask him to give us the support he has announced.
“Women bore the brunt of the troubles caused by the pandemic; There has been a huge increase in domestic violence and sexual assault, and the government has failed to support the amendment to the latest bill that would have made stalking a criminal offense. ”
WMRSASC has over 400 people on their waiting list.
In order to provide the necessary assistance to the victims and survivors referred to them each year, the total cost of the counseling service is £ 924,000 per year. Clearing the current waiting list, which is around 18 months for adults, costs an additional £ 609,000.
A statement posted on their website said: “Last week we had to make the heartbreaking decision to close the waiting list for the counseling center due to a serious lack of funds. We are overwhelmed by the support and solidarity you have shown, we understand that many people are just as passionate about this as we are.
“Adding additional customers to our waiting list increases the amount of time each customer has on the list, and we’ve reached a point where that waiting time is now at an unacceptable and unethical level.”
In response to the demonstration, Jesse Norman said, “I work closely with the Herefordshire Women’s Equality Group and I welcome this demonstration of support for the Center to Support Rape and Sexual Abuse in West Mercia.
“The center is doing incredibly important work to help local victims of rape and sexual abuse, the vast majority of whom are women and girls.”
“Myself and my team have been pushing for additional funding for the center, both locally and from the central government.
“I thank Police and Detective Commissioner John Campion and the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Councils for their support for the center. The Justice Department announced additional funding to support rape and domestic violence last November, but more funding is needed to meet current needs. ”
HMEG urges the government to allocate sufficient funds to enable victims of women, men and children to receive specialized psychological trauma support.
Ms. Shore added, “This is not a big city problem; This is a problem everywhere and it could be argued that this is a problem especially in rural communities which are very dispersed and have a scarce number of services and money has been canceled by the local government under that administration and it is widespread for Churches difficult to serve well at the best of times. Hereford is an important place and we have to be heard. ”
People in the community can show their support in a number of ways.
HMEG has given a list of ways people can help them:
• Write to Jessie Norman and Bill Wiggins
• Herefordshire City Council has provided some money as a transitional measure; Write to the ward council to say you support this campaign.
• Donate to WRMSASC (Center for Rape and Sexual Abuse in West Mercia)
“Everything helps,” said Barbara.
Some of these women are lifelong activists who say they have been battling the same problems for 30 to 40 years.
The HWEG meets every first Saturday of the month to discuss how current projects and plans are fighting for equality. To name a few:
• The HWEG also heads a sub-group called EMVAWG (Ending Male Violence Against Women and Girls), which has seven members. You have carried out several projects within this subgroup.
• Domestic violence (we participate in the feedback on the new definition in the DA law through letter campaigns, meetings with MPs and city councils / officials)
• Funding from Safer Streets and HWEG Representation: You work with the creators of the offer such as Emna Whitworth from West Mercia Police and Adrian Turton from the Community Safety Partnership.
– In addition: accreditation system for the safety of women; one of the suggestions from her proposals for Safer Streets was a system that accredits people based on how well they fight sexual violence in their environment, e.g.
• CSP strategy for sexual violence and HWEG framework for sexual violence; They produced a document suggesting what we thought should be included in the Community Safety Partnership’s new strategy against sexual violence.
You can find more information about the Herefordshire Women’s Equality Group (HWEG) on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/womensequalityhereford/