In the lead-up to International Women’s Day, Women’s Aid has been shining a spotlight on on domestic abuse and mental health – to raise awareness of the severe and long-lasting impacts it has on survivors and their children. Bringing together key decision-makers and campaigners, the Westminster event highlighted the huge barriers that women face in accessing services – from long waiting times, to communication barriers, victim-blaming attitudes, and a lack of trauma-informed responses and services.

Women’s Aid patron Melanie Brown MBE, who rose to fame as a member of the Spice Girls, joined fitness and wellness personality, and best-selling author, Alice Liveing, a Women’s Aid ambassador. The two campaigners, who both experienced abuse themselves, spoke to key politicians, calling for better mental health support for survivors.

Melanie Brown, MBE, said:

“My personal experience of coercive control was traumatising and it has impacted my mental health, including long-term post-abuse trauma, which I live with every day. I am so proud to be a patron for Women’s Aid and campaign together, to make a real difference for survivors. It was an honour to stand alongside others in Parliament this International Women’s Day, to celebrate the resilience of survivors of domestic abuse and make sure all women get the support that they need to heal.”

Farah Nazeer, chief executive at Women’s Aid, said:

“We are delighted to have been joined by strong and inspirational survivors to commemorate International Women’s Day 2022. After what has been an incredibly difficult year for women – with the devastating murders of Sarah Everard, Sabina Nessa, Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, alongside countless others – it is promising to see many key decision-makers engaging with the Deserve To Be Heard campaign. We look forward to working closely with the government going forward, to ensure that violence against women and girls is a key public health priority. This is especially pressing, with the impending publication of the Women’s Health Strategy.”

At the event, Women’s Aid called attention to its Deserve to be Heard campaign, which aims to change attitudes towards survivors’ mental health and to encourage decision-makers to ensure survivors do not face barriers in accessing the support they need.

The four founding Parliamentary champions of the Deserve To Be Heard campaign, Baroness Karren Brady, Simon Fell MP, Fleur Anderson MP, and Dean Russell MP were in attendance. As Parliamentary champions they will help to ensure survivors’ voices are heard in Parliament.