Yahoo News Under a Tory government, domestic violence victims will continue to die
On Sunday, we used three sofas to blockade Waterloo Bridge to protest against rising homelessness among survivors of domestic violence, as a result of refuge cuts. We stopped traffic on one of the busiest roads in London and spoke to passersby about the devastating consequences of austerity. We know that 44% of domestic violence survivors are forced to sofa surf while waiting for a refuge space. The cuts handed down to local councils in the past decade have left women across the country in desperate situations: spending on domestic violence refuges has been cut by nearly a quarter since 2010. Services are on the brink of collapse, and we believe that survivors deserve better.
The first refuges stripped of funding were those that supported women of colour, Muslim and migrant women
As the election looms, we want to draw attention to the fact that things have been getting worse. Deaths from domestic violence have reached a five-year high, with 173 people killed in 2018 – an increase of 32 on 2017. Three people a week are now killed by a partner, ex-partner or family member. We know that survivors require routes to economic stability, therapeutic services and a safety net to fall back on.
As a group, we use direct action because we want the public to learn about how many domestic and sexual violence services have been forced to close in the past 10 years. We want the women and non-binary people who have died because of the state’s negligence to be remembered. We want this information to stay with you, we want to make it impossible to look away.
We believe that austerity is racist and sexist, and that the government’s cuts are ideologically motivated. We recognise that women and non-binary people who exist at the intersection of multiple systems of power such as race, class and gender have the fewest options to escape abusive situations. The first refuges stripped of funding were those that supported women of colour, Muslim and migrant women. This, coupled with the hostile environment and constant threats of deportation for survivors with insecure immigration status, means they are less able to reach out for help, and if they do, they have nowhere to go. We believe that Conservative cuts kill, and we will continue to fight as long as our government continues to fail survivors.
Although the Conservative government has repeatedly claimed to care about ending violence against women and Theresa May lauded herself as a “feminist”, their actions tell a different story. The rollout of universal credit under the Tories means that benefits are now paid into a single bank account in a household, which often sees money go straight into the hands of abusers. This means many survivors are economically trapped in abusive situations, as they are less likely to control finances.
When May proposed that her domestic violence bill was a “once in a generation” opportunity to help victims by increasing police powers, she ignored the fact that the majority of women in prison are survivors of domestic violence. Increasing police powers to arrest abusers and inviting the police into the lives of survivors does nothing to improve their circumstances. Often it means that victims of domestic violence end up in custody or prison instead of perpetrators, because the police are ill-equipped to deal with it. Survivors do not need perpetrators to go to jail, they need to be provided with routes to safety by the state. They need shelters. They need trauma-based therapeutic services. For those women on the breadline, on jobseeker’s allowance or who fear their partners, prison does not equal protection.
We do not believe in political parties. But with a general election on Thursday, we believe that our choice in this moment is simple: more death or less death. We implore you to think about this fact and, if you are voting, to make sure you vote with this simple choice in mind. Our immediate aim is to protect sexual violence services and domestic violence shelters, and to extend their services to all those who need them. We know that regardless of the outcome of this election, we will be fighting the government on their failures to protect survivors of domestic violence. We know that fight will be easier under a government that promises to roll back the devastating consequences of austerity. Don’t look away.
• Sisters Uncut is a feminist direct action group made up of non-binary people and women protesting against cuts to domestic violence services
