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Abused women now have a voice. Do not die in silence; it doesn't matter if nobody believed your ordeal. Don't wait till you start losing your unborn babies or you may even be killed in some instances.

The more you hide the more you encourage your abusers. If you reside in Britain and you or someone is a victim of abused relationship please know that you are not alone. Do ensure you talk to Wine.

Women trapped in cycle of violence by UK law

In Britain, we'd like to think that if a woman is repeatedly abused, beaten, humiliated and raped, the law will ensure she can get protection and justice. But for many women in Britain today, it's not like that.

Many women come to the UK - often legally, on temporary work permits, student visas or spousal visas. Some women come to the UK to marry. The "no recourse to public funds" rule says that a woman in this position - even if she's married to a British citizen - is not entitled to certain state benefits, including housing benefit and income support.

But these are the benefits a woman must be able to claim to get a place in a refuge if she needs to escape violence. As a result, many newly-married women in the UK are trapped in violent marriages and even if they do muster the courage to seek help from the authorities, they are simply turned away.

The need for reform

Amnesty International believes that the government position puts the UK in breach of international human rights standards to which it has signed up. The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) says clearly that states must respect, protect and fulfil all women's human rights, regardless of immigration status or any other factor.

Amnesty International UK has joined its voice with the voices of these women, the refuge workers and the many black and minority ethnic women's groups who have been campaigning and lobbying for years on this subject. We are all calling on the UK government to:

• Allow refugees the funds they need to protection from violence to all women suffering abuse.
• Provide for an exemption to the "no recourse" rule to ensure women are not forced to remain with a violent partner.
• Develop an integrated strategy for violence against women so as to minimise the chance of policy contradictions undermining women's rights.

A Sane Alternative...

Abused women in these circumstances can become effectively stateless.  Return overseas is often not an option if there is nowhere to return to.  In traditional societies such as much of Africa, separated or divorced women are seen as bad luck, or taboo.  Employers will shun them; landlords won't even rent them a property if they can afford it.

We have got to give abused women a choice besides having to return to their abuser.  At present, the only choice is either suffering more abuse or else falling into a shadow world of prostitution, crime, drug abuse - even terrorism, as the most vulnerable are the most susceptible to evil manipulation.  This is economically damaging, not just morally wrong.

It is well known (Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs) that a person must have their basic needs met - food and shelter - before they can become happy and productive members of society.  The tax raised from the abusers is sufficient to pay for this.

Furthermore, abused women should be allowed to work - as nannies, health workers, beauticians, even police, law etc. as many are highly trained - so that they can make a contribution to society instead of being forced to feel useless and a burden.

Please contact us if you can help with our quest to inform the Queen and Parliament of these injustices and demand that the law is reformed!

More Information

• Amnesty International UK
• Southall Black Sisters

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