News

NO TO HASSOCKFIELD the new detention centre for women. Show your solidarity.

This government is planning to open a new detention centre for women in autumn. Detention harms women by locking them up when they need protection.

Every woman deserves a chance to rebuild her life in safety. Yet, instead of getting the support they need, too often women’s experiences are not believed and they are locked up in immigration detention. Most women held in detention are known to be survivors of trafficking, torture, or sexual violence. Detention is harmful, as well as expensive, unjust and unnecessary.

We need more kindness and compassion, not a new detention centre.

Agnes needed protection, but instead she was detained for months before being granted refugee status. Over 14,000 of you have already joined Agnes to say #NoToHassockfield. Add your name to show your solidarity and to stop this new detention centre from opening.

We want to connect with MPs before they go on recess for summer to tell them that we do not want this new detention centre for women to open.

You can use this easy tool to tweet your MP to say #NoToHassockfield or use this simple tool to write to your MP to tell them to take action to stop the new detention centre from opening. Our MPs can make a difference – contact yours today!

Voices from the Frontline, a new book by Baobab Women’s Project

Baobab Women’s Project have released Voices from the Frontline, a powerful new book about the lived experiences of women asylum seekers and refugees going through the asylum process, and the impact this has on their mental health.

Written in their own words and ways, Voices from the Frontline includes information, quotes, writing, poetry, artwork and photographs, telling the stories of women living in an impossible situation between a traumatic past and an uncertain future.

By reading the book, Baobab Women’s Project hope that people will better understand and feel empowered to challenge the structures and attitudes that lead to poor mental health and suffering within the asylum process and our communities.

The book includes artworks created for EMPOWER BAB in our workshop with Baobab Women’s Project last year, which were sold to raise funds for the vital support and services that they provide.

Voices from the Frontline (£10) is available directly from Baobab Women’s Project, email volunteer@baobabwomen.co.uk to order your copy.

Birmingham & Solihull Women’s Aid art in refuge project 💜

Our project with Birmingham & Solihull Women’s Aid is now underway. 💜

FWFC members Carolyn Morton, Sarah Taylor Silverwood and Katy Sadler are delivering a programme of art activities for women aged 16 and up who are living in refuge.

The project will also include a print and online campaign to help raise awareness of domestic violence and abuse, featuring contributions by Birmingham based poet Nafeesa Hamid and BSWA.

The art project provides opportunities for women to develop their creative skills and interests, to carve out much needed time for themselves, and to help (re)build confidence and self-esteem. It also offers a chance for women and staff to spend time together socially in covid safe ways. Feedback from our first sessions provided by Sarah and supported by BSWA staff has been lovely ❤️

This project has been made possible with generous support from Arts Council England.

EMPOWER BAB – over £1K raised for Baobab Women’s Project!

We are thrilled to announce that our EMPOWER BAB shop raised a fantastic £1422 which will all go directly to supporting the vital work of Baobab Women’s Project.

The EMPOWER BAB shop sold small, original, affordable artworks – made and donated by over 50 people responding to the word ’empower’ – and our limited edition EMPOWER BAB brooch.

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated artwork, to everyone who made a purchase from our shop and to our team at FWFC who worked really hard on this fundraiser. You are all wonderful ❤️

Baobab Women’s Project are a West Midlands refugee and asylum seeker women’s advocacy project, working in solidarity with others for positive change. They focus on undocumented, asylum seeking and newly granted refugee women’s issues, particularly supporting women affected by gender violence and trafficking.