The inaugural Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Conference has taken place at The Riverside Centre, Newport and attracted a fully booked audience of 120 delegates of professionals from the statutory, voluntary or third sector organisations across the Island.
The conference aimed to raise awareness and to enable delegates to gain a better understanding of the impact of domestic abuse and how early intervention and prevention can reduce the risk of domestic homicide.
Last year, an estimated 1.4 million women experienced some form of domestic abuse in the UK, whilst 31 per cent of young women aged 18 – 24 report having experienced sexual abuse in childhood. Globally, approximately 35 per cent of all women have experienced either physical and/ or sexual intimate partner violence or sexual violence.
Isle of Wight Executive member for public health, public protection and PFI, Councillor Phil Jordan, said:
“This may be the first year for the conference but I am delighted to see that it was fully booked and this is hopefully the beginning of an annual event that will see organisations joining together across the Island to underpin the importance of early intervention and prevention in preventing domestic homicide.
“The council is an active member of the VAWG Strategic Partnership and this conference will help us to continue to work to eliminate barriers to accessing support and advice, to make sure that those who need help are able to receive when they need it.”
David Huggins, Isle of Wight Council domestic abuse coordinator, said:
“The aim of the conference was to discuss how we can strengthen frontline responses through better training, awareness, increased accountability and transparency.
Article continues below this advertisement “We need to promote a change in culture to refocus the criminal justice response on recognising and addressing patterns of abuse. I would like to thank all those who attended and hope that the Island will lead the way in instigating culture change.”
There was a wide ranging line-up of speakers on the day including:
• DCI Tim Rowlandson, from Hampshire Constabulary, who is their strategic lead for domestic abuse and who has been instrumental in commissioning a serial/ repeat domestic abuse perpetrator programme and chairs the monthly clinic aimed at preventing and dealing with stalking.
• Nick Gazzard, from the Hollie Gazzard Trust – which was he set up following the murder of his daughter in 2014 – has worked closely with the police to help improve services for victims of domestic violence and abuse and stalking.
• Zoe Lodrick, a registered psychotherapist and experienced trainer and consultant, with over 20 years of experience providing counselling and psychotherapy to women and men who have experienced rape, sexual assault and/or childhood sexual abuse and exploitation.
• Fiona Gwinnett, who is chief executive of refuge and outreach organisation Wight DASH, which was formerly Island Women’s Refuge. The outreach service supports around 180 men and women at any one time and the refuge provides accommodation for six women and their children, with 22 families staying there over the course of last year.
As part of the of the conference, organisers commissioned ‘4.15’, a contemporary craft installation by Island designer Lauren Fry. The exhibition aims to raise awareness of the stark reality of domestic homicide within the UK. Lauren has hand-crafted paper birds, perched atop amassed paperwork – symbolising a freed soul. A shocking 85 women were killed last year in the UK as a result of domestic homicide. That’s 1 woman every 4.15 days.
The installation in the Clayden Gallery is formed from tattered pieces of reports and articles which have come to represent the diverse and distinctive lives of the 85 women represented in the exhibition.
The hand-made paper birds from this exhibition are available to purchase for £5 each. All money raised for the sale of the birds will go to The Island Womens Refuge and Quay Arts. The exhibition is open until Saturday 3rd December and the gallery opening times are Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 16:00.
For further information on help and support available, visit www.iwight.com/Council/OtherServices/Domestic-Abuse/What-is-domestic-violenceabuse.
