Reflections on Party Conferences
This year, Safety4Sisters attended Labour and Green party conferences in Liverpool and Brighton. We set out to ensure that the experiences and barriers faced by migrant women who have experienced gendered violence were included in conversations on VAWG and migration. Both party leaders neglected to mention VAWG in their speeches – a glaring omission considering the rise in misogyny. In contrast, migration was central to the agenda – whether it was Labour’s emphasis on immigration “control” or the Green’s focus on public discourses.
Labour Party Conference
Expectedly, the party in government’s conference included a packed schedule, and we attended events on a broad range of themes including VAWG, immigration, homelessness and mental health. What quickly became evident was a reluctance from government to engage with the topic of migrant victim-survivors of VAWG. In the Fabian Society’s fringe event on immigration which heard from Minister Jo White MP and Chris Murray MP. The discussion on Earned Settlement proposals and the Immigration and Asylum Bill highlighted the government’s framing that economic contributions of migrants should be incentivised and rewarded. When posed with the question of how migrant victim-survivors of VAWG will be protected when these proposals penalise migrant women who have faced economic abuse, both MPs ignored the question.
Fabian Society Immigration Event
On Monday, we were pleased to attend an event co-hosted by Hope not Hate, EVAW and Beyond Equality which launched principles for working with men and boys to end VAWG. The panel discussion explored the link between far-right, anti-immigration movements, rising misogyny and the manosphere. When we asked how government rhetoric on immigration has played a role in fuelling violent racist extremism, we were once again disappointed by the lack of a clear answer from the MPs who were present. In the evening, we gathered with colleagues across the VAWG sector for dinner, discussing our work, goals and impact. After many online meetings, it was great to see colleagues in person and learn about the vital work being done to hold the government to account on its mission to half VAWG in a decade.
In an event focusing on the drivers of the mental health crisis, hosted by King’s College London, the Minister for Mental Health and Social Care, Alison McGovern MP, spoke about how a wide range of policies outside the remit of healthcare have a direct impact on mental health. Following from this, we asked if the government recognises the impact of increasingly hostile immigration policies on the mental health of migrant victim-survivors of VAWG, to which she only answered, “yes we do”. On reflection, it was clear that government Ministers were unwilling to speak about migrant survivors of VAWG, pushing an already marginalised group further into the sidelines. The framing of immigration overwhelmingly focused on border control and economic contributions. When faced with questions on the lived realities of migrant women who have experienced VAWG, an uncomfortable silence replaced what should have been commitments to ensure access to safety, freedom and justice for migrant victim-survivors.
EVAW, Hope not Hate and Beyond Equality Event
Green Party Conference
Our first observation when looking at the timetable at the Green party conference was the absence of any events focusing on VAWG. Considering increasing misogyny and the prevalence of domestic abuse and sexual violence in the UK, we were disappointed to see that this issue was not a primary focus of the conference.
There were several conversations on the rise of the far-right. We welcomed the recognition of the impact of racist, anti-immigration violence on communities – a theme which carried throughout the conference. We also heard a recommitment to the policy to abolish the punitive No Recourse to Public Funds condition, which leaves tens of thousands of migrant women trapped with perpetrators of abuse. Safety4Sisters has long campaigned for this policy, which would address one of the core barriers faced by migrant victim-survivors.
There were also discussions on how to speak across ideological lines and combat narratives that frame immigration as threatening in the UK. The economic contribution of migrants was again raised as a way to frame the public debate on migration. What was missing was a recognition that engaging across political divides of racism and xenophobia is not a safe option for all. For Black and minoritised migrant women who have experienced VAWG, the dual threat of violent racism and misogyny, as well as prolonged exclusion from civic participation and experiences of trauma mean that migrant victim-survivors are fighting for their own safety and access to basic needs.
Hope not Hate Event at Green Party Conference
Conclusion
When debates around migration are shaped by public discourse, the lived experiences of those who are excluded from public life, such as migrant women who have experienced VAWG, are often sidelined. Migrant victim-survivors are left out of conversations that centre economic contribution rather than human rights. Safety4Sisters will continue to advocate for the voices of migrant victim-survivors to come to light and to shape how we talk about migration, inclusion and political action.