There was a discussion around the history of IWD, what empowerment and self-love means to the women who attended the event, and how to represent this in the mural.
They settled on the idea of having a woman as the tree to symbolise growth and strength, along with butterflies, flowers and sunshine to represent freedom and renewal.
LBHF granted money towards the event on Thursday, which included a lovely lunch and gift bags containing a copy of The history of the world in 21 women, a candle, and toiletries.
Love the mural too!
For more information, please contact Tracie Couper, Press Officer at Advance, at tracie.c@advancecharity.org.uk or on 0743 2700 287.
Notes
- Advance’s specialist advocates work in partnership with 11 local and national women’s service providers, alongside statutory services to provide services within women’s communities across the 6 regions of Hampshire, Kent, Thames Valley, Essex, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire.
- Through our woman-centred approach, we aim to prevent the cycle of re-offending, tackling issues such as lack of consistent housing and homelessness, domestic abuse and sexual violence, mental health, emotional well-being, parenting and family relationships, education training and employment, finance, benefits, and debt.
- 53% of women in prison report having experienced emotional, physical, or sexual abuse as a child compared to 22% of men.
- 72% of women who entered prison in 2020 have committed a non-violent offence.
- 57% of women in prison and under community supervision report being victims of domestic abuse. The true figure is likely higher, as many women fear disclosing abuse.
- 50% of women, compared to 22% of men, have reported that they offended to support someone else’s drug use.
- Read more in Advance’s report – A Strange Empty Place – HERE
About Advance
- Advance’s vision is a world in which women and children lead safe, equal, violence-free lives so that they can flourish and actively contribute to society. The charity works with women who experience domestic abuse to be safe and take control of their lives, and women who have committed crime or are at risk of offending to break the cycle.
- As well as providing direct support, Advance works with statutory services, government agencies and other women’s charities to ensure a holistic approach to the issues these women face.
- Women must be referred to Advance, via statutory services or the charity’s self-referral scheme. For more information about who Advance is able to support, please visit Get help
- For facts and statistics about domestic abuse and women in the criminal justice system, as well as Advance’s work, please visit Our impact
