Faiths Against Domestic Abuse

The rise in domestic abuse within all communities was starkly highlighted by the Covid-19 restrictions. During the lockdowns, Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline was accessed over 40,000 times. In response, Faiths Forum for London and Women’s Interfaith Network launched the Faiths Against Domestic Abuse (FADA) Awareness Programme.

The programme began with the first ever Faiths Against Domestic Abuse Awareness Week, from 23 to 27 November 2020, to highlight domestic abuse within faith communities and to make sure everyone has access to culturally specific support services.

FADA Awareness Week 2020 ran on social media. A coalition of faith-based organisations raised awareness of domestic abuse by sharing statistics, domestic abuse training sessions, videos and key resources in several community languages.

Following its success, Faiths Forum ran a second Faiths Against Domestic Abuse campaign in 2021, which received a Faith & Belief Forum Community Award.

Next steps

In 2022 we set out to produce a series of conversations with experts on domestic abuse, “Time to Talk: Domestic Abuse”, released weekly on our social media. The talks open a dialogue about domestic abuse within faith communities, concentrating on education, policy-making and practical steps.

We also aim to run in-person training for faith leaders across London, on the key themes of domestic abuse and how to support victims within their communities. These workshops will foster a culture of accountability and of speaking out against violence, creating a safer environment for all women and victims of abuse in faith spaces.