Step Up Migrant Women Campaign (2018–2019)
This project focuses on the Step Up Migrant Women campaign, led by the Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS), which works to address the barriers faced by migrant women experiencing gender-based violence in the UK.
Developed as part of the wider Women Resisting Violence initiative, the campaign centres the experiences of migrant, Black, and minoritised women, particularly those with insecure immigration status. It highlights how structural inequalities, such as restrictive immigration policies and lack of access to public funds, shape women’s vulnerability to violence and limit their ability to seek support.
By bringing together a coalition of organisations and amplifying women’s voices through advocacy, research, and campaigning, the project challenges systemic injustices and calls for safer, more inclusive responses to gender-based violence.
Research Methods:
- Survey and in depth-interviews
- Advocacy and campaigning
- Storytelling through media
- Public platforms
Key Objectives
Secure safe reporting mechanisms for migrant women experiencing violence
Advocate for the separation of immigration control from access to support services
Amplify the voices and experiences of migrant and minoritised women
Build coalitions across organisations working on gender and migrant rights
Influence policy and public debate around violence against migrant women
Key Findings
Migrant women with insecure immigration status face heightened vulnerability to gender-based violence, shaped by structural inequalities and immigration controls.
Fear of deportation and immigration enforcement prevents many women from reporting abuse or seeking support.
Perpetrators often use immigration status as a tool of coercion and control to maintain abusive relationships.
Women experience multiple and overlapping forms of violence, including psychological, physical, sexual, and economic abuse.
Institutional responses are often inadequate, with women facing disbelief, barriers to support, and unequal access to justice.
Data-sharing between police and immigration authorities creates mistrust and discourages reporting.
Lack of access to public funds and secure housing leaves many women in situations of prolonged vulnerability.
Publications
Go to Publications Archive
Partners
London (UK)
- King’s College London
- Latin American Women Rights Service (LAWRS)
- Latin American Bureau (LAB)
Funder
- Lloyds Bank Foundation