Dear Friends,
As Christmas approaches, once again we are asking you to contribute financially to help women and children seeking asylum.
Each year Legal Action for Women’s Christmas Appeal helps approximately 25 women. Every penny we raise goes to women in the All African Women’s Group (AAWG), the self-help group of women asylum seekers based with us at the Crossroads Women’s Centre. We work together to distribute the money raised. We have seen from previous years that it makes a massive difference to women’s lives.
As we all know, times are increasingly hard and asylum seekers are faring worse than most. A show of hands at a recent AAWG meeting of 55 women showed that over 60% had supplemented their weekly food from local food banks. Nearly 50% are destitute having no income and nowhere settled to live. Drastic cuts this past year to legal aid have left even more women unable to find lawyers to pursue their cases, and with no current asylum claim they and not entitled to any support.
Despite hugely difficult personal circumstances, women have stayed determined to keep speaking out about the challenges they face. In October, at a Speak Out on Rape & Sexual Assault in Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre, a packed crowd heard compelling testimonies from women who experienced and/or witnessed sexual abuse while held in detention. The courage of women who at great risk exposed this outrage has forced Serco to dismiss three guards, while the government has tried unsuccessfully to deport two of the key witnesses. A number of women who have been released have joined the AAWG.
This year, with grateful thanks to filmmaker Lucy Lyon, you can find out more about the AAWG from these three short films. See here.
We understand that many people will be feeling hard pressed financially but we ask you to dig deep and contribute as much as you can. We will give out the money on 20 December.
Many thanks and best wishes for the holiday season,
Niki Adams
December 2013
How to donate
Click here to donate to the asylum appeal administered on our behalf by the charity Women in Dialogue. All donations are gift-aided.
Money transfer to our account: Legal Action for Women, Unity Trust Bank, account number – 50728361, sort code – 086001. If donating online or direct into our account, we would appreciate an email to let us know.
By cheque, payable to Legal Action for Women – please let us know by email and specify that you are donating in response to the Christmas Appeal.
If you would like to donate non-perishable food, toiletries or other essential items, these would also be very much appreciated. They can be delivered any day before 19 December to the Women’s Centre in Kentish Town (25 Wolsey Mews, NW5 2DX).
Legal Action for Women
law@allwomencount.net 020 7482 2496