Birmingham to develop an online portal to help survivors of domestic abuse

Birmingham was chosen as one of 12 international cities to participate in a global campaign led by the US-based organisation the Carter Center, which aims to educate and empower survivors of domestic abuse to access information and play an active role in society.

Working with city partners, including Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid, this project will highlight information women need when they start building their own safety action plans to help them escape abusive partners.

The overall goals of the Inform Women, Transform Lives campaign are to enhance awareness of women’s right to information, increase the number of women accessing information about municipal and social services in participating cities, and support participating local governments in reaching women with meaningful information.

Cllr John Cotton, Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion, Community Safety and Equalities, said: ‘Being able to access the right information at the right time, safely – especially for those looking to escape domestic abuse and protect their families – is absolutely vital, so I’m sure this will prove an invaluable portal for those looking for essential information.’

He added: ‘We know domestic abuse has a long lasting impact on the safety, health and wider life chances of women and their families, which can drive wider crises such as homelessness and financial exclusion.

‘We also know that information empowers women, strengthens their voices and enables them to take action – so we will be working with our city partners to ensure women can quickly and easily access the information they need.’