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It has been announced today that Comic Relief has been selected to receive £1.28 million from the Tampon Tax Fund.
These funds will be invested in frontline, specialist Black and minoritized women’s[1] organisations in England addressing violence against women and girls.
Violence against women and girls continues to be perpetrated at alarmingly high levels in the UK: 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse and 1 in 5 sexual assault during their lifetime.
Characteristics of violence against Black and minoritized women are often different and more complex: Sisters for Change (2017)[2] found rates of physical abuse to be 20% higher, sexual abuse 40% higher, and that it is ten times more likely that harms are posed by multiple perpetrators.
Help-seeking by women and girls who have faced these amplified levels of violence and abuse is often compounded by language barriers, no recourse to public funds and experiences of intersectional discrimination.
89% of Black and minoritized women survivors prefer receiving support from a specialist service, reflecting the high value of the unique knowledge, skills and insight contained within ‘by and for’ services.
This award builds on Comic Relief’s successful partnership with the Tampon Tax Fund which began in 2016 and has enabled us to invest in specialist and urgently needed services and support for women and girls facing inequality across the UK.
Ruth Davison, CEO, Comic Relief said: “The alarming rise in domestic violence throughout the pandemic means that vital services are needed now more than ever. With the generous support from the Tampon Tax we will work with frontline Black, Asian and minority led organisations that help women at risk of violence and abuse across England, especially those who find it harder to access mainstream services.”
Information on how to apply for this funding will be available on our website as soon as further details have been confirmed.
[1]Women who are defined in policy terms as Black and ‘Minority Ethnic’ (BME) [2] Unequal Regard, Unequal Protection, Sisters for Change, 2017