The extra barriers that black and minority ethnic (BME) women have to hurdle when fleeing domestic violence was the topic of a national conference held on November 25, which coincided with the United Nations' International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
"Moving Forward: Positioning Culturally Sensitive Provision" was held by Ashram Housing Association, which runs domestic violence services.
The article below considers the issues of why, despite prevalence of domestic violence being similar across all communities, BME women are less likely to access statutory services and then struggle with those they do receive, including no recourse to public funds.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/nov/19/domestic-violence-black-minority-ethnic-women

New legislation to protect victims of forced marriage and prevent others from the same fate comes into force last week.
The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 will enable courts to prevent forced marriages and order those responsible for forcing another into marriage to change their behaviour or face jail. It also provides recourse for those already forced into marriage.

For more information visit http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/lfi/167939

New data shows ethnic minority women are chronically under-represented in local government.
Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equalities, stressed at a reception in Westminster the need for local councils to have more Black, Asian and minority ethnic women as new data shows numbers have fallen back since 2006.

For full story visit http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/lfi/167070

Queen Rania of Jordan Champions International Cross-Cultural Dialogue on YouTube. This clip is the first in a three part series and it highlights some of the everyday items in our homes that came to us through a shared heritage with Muslim civilizations.

http://www.YouTube.com/QueenRania

A new website aimed at tackling health inequalities affecting Muslim communities in the UK has gone live just before Ramadan.

The resource is part of the Maslaha project, a new organisation being established by the Young Foundation aimed at helping Muslims deal with the everyday dilemmas of living in western society. Maslaha translates from Arabic as ‘for the common good’ and the organisation will be built around an interactive website.

The health pilot, which has been commissioned by Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust, focuses on managing diabetes of which there is a disproportionately high occurrence amongst Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities. Maslaha has produced a website and films in both Sylethi and English which give advice from a religious and medical perspective to help tackle diabetes.

Maslaha’s health strand will contribute towards providing a greater understanding amongst healthcare workers about how Islam can touch on all aspects of a Muslim patient’s life and how they can use this knowledge to gain the confidence of their local Muslim community. A Muslim patient is more likely to visit a GP or nurse if they feel their beliefs and way of life are understood.