USW awarded funding to support Black and minority ethnic women affected by violence

The University of South Wales (USW) has received funding to provide support to Black and minority ethnic (BME) women affected by violence and domestic abuse.

USW has been awarded a major boost of over £300,000 in funding from Health and Care Research Wales to aid transformative research initiative which is working to improve services for BME women impacted by violence and abuse.

Set to run over two years, this project will centre on the experiences and voices of BME women, aiming to enhance support systems across healthcare, law enforcement, and social services.

Led by USW’s Dr. Sarah Wallace, the project: “Listening is a Big Step: Co-developing a Multi-agency Framework with BME Women for Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse, and Sexual Violence”, will develop a collaborative approach to tackle violence against women, domestic abuse, and sexual violence (VAWDASV).

Dr. Wallace is a Senior Research Fellow at the Welsh Institute for Health and Social Care at the University of South Wales. With a background in frontline support for domestic violence survivors, she is also a trained Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA).

An experienced qualitative researcher and Group Concept Mapping (GCM) facilitator, Dr. Wallace’s work focuses on health and social care, particularly supporting vulnerable and marginalised communities affected by domestic abuse across all ages.

Speaking with Herald Wales, Dr. Wallace said: “This project will work directly with BME women to co-create solutions that ensure their voices are heard and their experiences shape the services designed to protect them.”

“Improving how services work together can have a real impact on both personal well-being and broader societal change.”

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Adding: “The study is timely in light of the Welsh Government’s VAWDASV Strategy (2022-26), which calls for strengthened multi-agency partnerships to tackle this pervasive issue. We will provide vital resources for policy-makers, service providers, and communities for how agencies can collaborate more effectively to address the needs of BME women.”

Violence against BME women in the UK has seen a troubling rise, with reports indicating that incidents of violence against women and girls (VAWG) increased by nearly 40 per cent between 2018 and 2023. This spike has raised concerns, with many advocates describing the situation as a national emergency. BME women face additional barriers in seeking help, including language difficulties and mistrust of authorities, making them more vulnerable.

The project will use interviews, workshops, and digital storytelling to focus on specific challenges like language barriers, distrust of authorities, and immigration concerns. The research aligns with Wales’s VAWDASV Strategy (2022-26), which calls for stronger inter-agency cooperation to support affected populations.

The study is in partnership with Bawso, an organization providing crucial support to BME and migrant women affected by abuse.

Samsunear Ali, Chief Executive of Bawso said: “Being part of this research will give service users the opportunity to share their experiences of public services to make improvements.”

Head of Programmes at Health and Care Research Wales, Michael Bowdery said: “We are thrilled with the high standard of applications for project grants this year.

“These diverse research projects have the potential to make a significant impact on people’s health and wellbeing. The quality of research in Wales will help ensure that our research community remains competitive and continues to thrive.”