{"id":402,"date":"2025-05-13T14:16:17","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T14:16:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/?p=402"},"modified":"2025-05-15T14:57:45","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T14:57:45","slug":"sistah-space-was-created-to-save-black-women-from-domestic-abuse-10-years-later-the-work-feels-just-as-urgent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/13\/sistah-space-was-created-to-save-black-women-from-domestic-abuse-10-years-later-the-work-feels-just-as-urgent\/","title":{"rendered":"Sistah Space Was Created To Save Black Women From Domestic Abuse. 10 Years Later, The Work Feels Just As Urgent"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sensitive topic caution: This article discusses domestic violence, femicide and violence against Black women and girls\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a cruel irony that after nearly 10 years of providing refuge for Black women facing domestic abuse, the charity Sistah Space<\/a> has been left to pick up its own pieces following a recent burglary<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The brazen violation, which feels deeply personal, raises questions (along with some likely answers) as to the motive behind the crime. Why is it that Sistah Space \u2014 a leading domestic abuse charity and the UK\u2019s first specialist refuge for women of African and Caribbean heritage<\/a> \u2014 was the sole target of a burglary within a building that houses 70+ other offices?<\/p>\n

\u201cThey broke in, they took all of our laptops, they took all of the money from our shop, and they took our keys,\u201d the charity\u2019s CEO & Founder, Ngozi Fulani, tells <\/em>Refinery29. Fortified by her small team, backed by ambassador FKA Twigs<\/a>, and enveloped with an abundance of encouragement from the local community, Ngozi and her colleagues have persevered. Though modest in size and despite a catalogue of years-long setbacks, they\u2019ve proudly maintained their resilience and have supported thousands of service users since launching in 2015.<\/p>\n

It was the heinous murder of Valerie Forde<\/a> and her 22-month-old daughter at the hands of Valerie\u2019s ex-partner in 2014 that prompted Ngozi to set up Sistah Space the following year. Six weeks before Valerie\u2019s death, her ex-partner had threatened to burn down their house <\/a>with everybody inside. However, when Valerie reported this to the police, it was recorded as merely a threat to property, and not a threat to life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That same year, 150 women were killed through male violence<\/a>. This had increased from 143 women in 2013 to 126 women in 2012. Since 2014, there have been 898 victims of femicide<\/a> in the UK, which the United Nations defines as<\/a> \u201can intentional killing with a gender-related motivation\u201d and can stem from \u201cintimate partner violence, sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence.\u201d Of these, 698 victims were killed by a partner or ex-partner<\/a>, and more than 9 in 10 were killed by a man.<\/p>\n

What is Valerie\u2019s Law & how could it help Black women in crisis?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Since the outset, Sistah Space has campaigned for the implementation of Valerie\u2019s Law<\/a>\u00a0 \u2014 a call for mandatory cultural competency training for police officers<\/a>. The charity gathered over 106,000 signatures on a petition, which was enough to get the issue debated in parliament.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Named after Valerie Forde, whose murder alongside her baby daughter influenced so much of the organisation\u2019s development, the law aims to ensure police understand the \u201ccultural nuances and barriers, colloquialisms, languages and customs that make up the diverse Black community.\u201d That includes recognising how bruises may appear differently on Black skin, understanding colloquial language that might signal danger, and asking the right questions when assessing risk. It also means addressing unconscious bias and rebuilding trust between the police and Black communities \u2014 trust that, for many, has long been broken.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe\u2019ve pointed out that [Valerie\u2019s Law] has to be a \u2018for us, by us\u2019 training. Because there are no policemen, especially white men, who can speak on behalf of Black women.\u201d<\/p>\n

ngozi fulani, ceo & founder, sistah space<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

Valerie\u2019s Law was the subject of a parliamentary debate on 28 March 2022<\/a>, with then Minister for Safeguarding, Rachel Maclean, committing to setting up a meeting between Sistah Space, the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs\u2019 Council. \u201cI will facilitate that meeting to take place as soon as diaries can be synchronised, but I hope it will be within a relatively short period,\u201d she said at the time. As yet, no such meeting has taken place. Ngozi tells Refinery29: <\/em>\u201cAbout six months ago, we nudged them, and one of the MPs raised it again. They said they were going to get back to us but they didn\u2019t. If that isn\u2019t a clear response that says Black women\u2019s lives don\u2019t matter, I don\u2019t know what is.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s compelling evidence which supports the need for intersectional training and education as outlined in Valerie\u2019s Law. Research by Victim Support <\/a>found that 48% of Black and minority ethnic women who experienced domestic violence felt they were treated differently by the police based on their ethnic background. Sistah Space has also found that only 57% of Black female victims of domestic abuse would go to the police<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Is there a Black femicide crisis in the UK?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As Refinery29 previously reported<\/a>, there is a critical lack of data pertaining to the ethnicity of Britain\u2019s femicide victims. This was highlighted in the 2021 Femicide Census<\/a>, which revealed that in response to Freedom of Information requests, police forces only provided details relating to ethnicity for 41% of victims. Three of these victims were Black compared to a total of 46 who belonged to one of the five white ethnic groups.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In stark contrast, Metropolitan Police figures<\/a> point to a Black femicide crisis in the capital, with nine of the 21 femicide victims in 2022 (43%) being Black women. In 2023, this figure rose considerably when eight of the 13 femicide victims (62%) were Black. Johanita Kossiwa Dogbey<\/a> was one of the women killed that year. While walking in Stockwell Park, she was the victim of a random attack at the hands of Mohamed Nur, who cut her throat with a makeshift blade. Four months later, 15-year-old Elianne Andam<\/a> was repeatedly stabbed with a kitchen knife outside a shopping centre in Croydon. Her killer, Hassan Sentamu, had a history of attacking girls. Felecia Cadore<\/a> was also murdered in 2023 after her ex-boyfriend climbed through her window and stabbed her in a \u201cbrutal\u201d attack. She was taken to hospital but died from her injuries five days later.<\/p>\n

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Metropolitan Police figures<\/a> point to a Black femicide crisis in the capital, with nine of the 21 femicide victims in 2022 (43%) being Black women. In 2023, this figure rose considerably when eight of the 13 femicide victims (62%) were Black.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

In 2024, police chiefs officially classed violence against women and girls (VAWG) as a national threat<\/a>, finding that at least 1 in every 12 women will be a victim of VAWG per year. And while it\u2019s not possible to pinpoint a definitive cause, there are some proven signifiers which can help us better understand the reasons why men harm women. The Council of Europe<\/a> identifies the four factors associated with gender-based violence as: cultural (patriarchal and sexist views legitimising violence); legal (women fearing backlash if they take legal action); economic (a lack of financial resources making women more vulnerable to violence); and political (the underrepresentation of women in power). As it relates to intimate partner violence, the World Health Organization<\/a> cites low education, child maltreatment or exposure to violence in the family, and attitudes accepting of violence and gender inequality as some of the primary causes.<\/p>\n

At a time when hatred of women has become increasingly pervasive, the underlying threat of VAWG feels ever more present. And with \u201cred pill\u201d and \u201cmanosphere\u201d ideologies now mainstream online, it\u2019s simply not possible to stem the deluge of harmful rhetoric that permeates the minds of boys and men on a daily basis. While exposure to toxic talking points isn\u2019t a guaranteed through line to acts of violence, who\u2019s to say that theoretical misogyny couldn\u2019t lead to something more tangible?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Femicide is often the culmination of prolonged domestic abuse, stalking or coercive control<\/a> by a romantic partner. And though it was the catalyst for the inception of Sistah Space, the charity supports women who\u2019ve suffered domestic abuse and violence from a multitude of perpetrators, including those with familial ties.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

How Sistah Space provides a refuge for Black women dealing with domestic abuse<\/strong> in the UK<\/h2>\n

Refinery29 spoke to Sarah*, a former service user who was introduced to Ngozi through a mutual acquaintance in 2016. She explains: \u201cI was experiencing abuse with my family, and fortunately for me, I knew somebody who knew of Ngozi. She told me, \u2018There\u2019s a lady who normally asks people if they need help, and it\u2019s possible you could speak to her\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the time, Sarah was unaware that she was the victim of domestic abuse. \u201cBecause it was with family, I just saw it as a normal thing that I was going through. It was after speaking to Ngozi that I got the information about what abuse is. I assumed that abuse would be yourself and your partner having issues, and abuse coming from your partner. When Ngozi asked what my situation was, I explained everything to her and she said,\u00a0 \u2018Do you know you\u2019re going through abuse?\u2019 I was like \u2018Oh no, this is just my family\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy children and I were destitute, and I was focused on looking for help in terms of shelter. The most important thing that happened for me when it came to Sistah Space is that Ngozi asked me, \u2018What do you need right now?\u2019. I didn\u2019t have the slightest clue because everywhere I\u2019d gone prior, they\u2019d told <\/em>me what I needed to do and where I needed to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ngozi detailed the steps Sarah would need to take in order to secure safe accommodation. She also accompanied her to appointments and provided support with issues relating to Sarah\u2019s immigration status. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t just Ngozi saying \u2018You need to do this and you need to do that\u2019. She did all of those things with me. She would book appointments and she would actually go to those appointments with me. She didn\u2019t leave me on my own. I had never experienced anything like that with any other organisation.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cA lot of the women who come to us have no recourse to public funds, which means that we have to give them everything from underwear to bedspreads. So we rely on our communities, and we rely on donations.\u201d <\/p>\n

nGOZI fULANI, FOUNDER OF SISTAH SPACE<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

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Sarah was eventually able to build a new life \u2014 an achievement for which she gives Sistah Space a huge amount of credit. Once she was on firmer footing, she would go on to devote years to the organisation as a volunteer. \u201cIt didn\u2019t just come down to what I needed, it also came down to what I could give back, which is very important. I saw for myself what it was like for people to give up their time freely, without expecting anything back, which taught me to do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah\u2019s testimony serves as an impassioned endorsement which no doubt captures the sentiments of the countless women who have engaged with Sistah Space over the past decade. As a charity built to support and uplift Black women specifically, it shoulders a colossal responsibility for the people it serves and for the unique challenges they face. \u201cWe have to recognise the different cultures, the different countries, the different traditions, and the different Black women that are in the UK,\u201d says Ngozi.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe level of service that we offer has to really fluctuate according to who\u2019s standing in front of us. And a lot of the women who come to us have no recourse to public funds, which means that we have to give them everything from underwear to bedspreads. So we rely on our communities, and we rely on donations. Our shop is not a charity shop, it\u2019s a shop that is a charity, which means we don\u2019t accept pre-loved items or second-hand goods. Just because someone\u2019s gone through domestic abuse, sexual abuse or rape, that doesn\u2019t mean that they should be left with what other people no longer need. In fact, it\u2019s more important that they get something new, because you need that to feel valued.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steadfast in her plight to see Valeri\u2019s Law realised, Ngozi\u2019s commitment to her advocacy has endured. This is despite the lack of funding to provide an optimal service for those most in need. \u201cWe\u2019ve pointed out that [Valerie\u2019s Law] has to be a \u2018for us, by us\u2019 training. Because there are no policemen, especially white men, who can speak on behalf of Black women. We try to tell people about the importance of Valerie\u2019s Law because we can advise and can save lives. Yet, we are invisible in plain sight. How does that age-old saying go? If you don\u2019t have a seat at the table, it\u2019s probably because you\u2019re on the menu.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a woman of African or Caribbean heritage who has been affected by domestic violence or sexual assault, you can contact Sistah Space by calling <\/em>020 7846 8350,<\/em> Monday to Friday between 11am to 5pm, or emailing <\/em>support@sistahspace.org<\/em><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the <\/em>National Domestic Abuse Helpline<\/em><\/a> on 0808 2000 247. If you are in immediate danger, please call 999.<\/em><\/p>\n

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sensitive topic caution: This article discusses domestic violence, femicide and violence against Black women and girls\u00a0 It\u2019s a cruel irony that after nearly 10 years of providing refuge for Black women facing domestic abuse, the charity Sistah Space has been left to pick up its own pieces following a recent burglary. The brazen violation, which…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":404,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/402"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=402"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/402\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":408,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/402\/revisions\/408"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}