Today marks the end of this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, and The Links Group team and our allies have been busy throughout, attending events and delivering training, both in-person and virtually.
Running from 25 November to 10 December annually, 16 Days of Activism is a global movement, and in the UK, many organisations run events and activities to promote awareness and to drive positive change.
We recognise that abuse takes many forms, and can happen to any gender, any species. We are proud to play our role in supporting 16 Days to raise awareness of ‘The Link’ between abuse of animals and abuse of people.
Last week, we gave you an update on our activities over the first 8 days. We haven’t let up this week either. Trustee Dr Mary Wakeham delivered a lunch and learn to LiveWest Housing Association on the 4th. Amy Hyde, National Manager of Lifeline, presented a webinar on pet fostering for our colleagues at Hestia, following on from her webinars on Animal Abuse as a Strategy of Coercive Control with Mary and Jacqui Kilburn the week before.
Strategic Delivery Lead Andrea was a speaker at a domestic abuse information session hosted by Foyle Women’s Aid and the Foyle Family Justice Centre, raising awareness of “The Link” and our Protecting Animals, Protecting People course. This conference was focused on services and support available in the North West region of the Northern Irish context. Thank you to FWA and the FFJC for the opportunity to raise awareness of rural domestic abuse and the involvement of livestock, horses and other species, and highlight the lack of specialist domestic abuse animal fostering services in NI.
We continue to raise awareness of and gather support for the proposed amendments (No. 316) to the Crime and Policing Bill, currently at committee stage in the House of Lords. These amendments, if accepted, will help to close the current legislative gap and allow for stronger future protections of children and animals from sexual abuse.
Mary’s research is in its next phase, with the call for participants to take part in a survey going out during 16 Days. To understand more about the use and abuse of animals in domestic abuse-related deaths (including homicide, suicide and unexplained deaths), Mary is keen to hear the experiences of people whose lives were at risk from the perpetrator, from family/friends/witnesses impacted by domestic abuse-related death, and from professionals working in human and/or animal health and welfare sectors. Find out more by visiting the survey site here.
