Shakti Women's Aid

‘Honour-based violence’ is a range of abusive or violent acts (including, at its extreme, murder) motivated by a perceived loss of honour to family, community, or an individual. A majority of victims & survivors of Honour-based violence in the UK are from Black Minority Ethnic (BME) communities. This seminar explores experiences of Honour-based violence, the social environments that support excuses used by perpetrators to commit ‘Honour’ crimes, and the impact on BME women, children, and young people.

Delegates will discuss:
• The meaning of Honour in the context of Honour-based violence
• The influence of family, community, faith, tradition, migration, and gender in victims’/survivors’ experiences
• Links to domestic abuse and gender-based violence
• The long term impact and consequences of Honour-based violence on BME women children and young people
• Appropriate service responses to supporting survivors

The facilitator: Mridul Wadhwa has been working at Shakti Women’s Aid for the past 8 years as the Information and Education officer. She has worked in the private and charity sectors in India and Scotland. Mridul has a Masters degree in the management of training and development. She has extensive experience of delivering training on the issues of domestic abuse within BME communities. She was awarded the Equality Network Award in 2015. Currently Mridul works for both Rape Crisis Scotland and Shakti Women’s Aid.