UK: Women’s Group Call to Cameron

David Cameron is under pressure to persuade a Tory council to reverse a decision to axe funding to a pioneering women’s group. The Conservative-controlled Ealing council in west London has decided to end the funding of Southall Black Sisters, which helped victims of forced marriage and domestic violence.

Cameron denounced forced marriages two weeks ago and promised to outlaw them. The group’s funding will be cut at the end of this month and it says its services to the most desperate women are in jeopardy. MPs, human rights groups and police have expressed fears that the cut may make it harder to bring people who attack their partners to justice.

Over 20 years, the group’s importance has spread far beyond its west London base. One of its most famous campaigns saw the release from prison of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, who had been jailed for killing her violent husband.

It also won a change in immigration law to allow victims of domestic violence to stay in Britain.

Pragna Patel, chair of SBS, has written to Cameron asking him to intervene, so far without success: “David Cameron has made keynote addresses on equality and cohesion which are at loggerheads with what members of the Tory party do locally.”

Ealing council says it wants to spend the £100,000 that SBS has been receiving on services helping domestic violence victims from all backgrounds.

Source: The Guardian – 13 March 2008