We would like to thank everyone who generously gave of their time, skills and experiences to make this study possible. In Pakistan and the UK we would especially like to thank women survivors, residents and former residents of shelters, refuges and users of women’s support services without whom this project would not have been possible. All of these women remain anonymous, yet we know their journeys have not ended.
In Pakistan, we would also like to thank the following people and organisations which provide invaluable services to support women in Pakistan who seek protection against domestic violence: Hina Jilani – AGHS Legal Aid Cell, Farida Shaheed - Dastak, Shahtaj Qazalbhash – AGHS Legal Aid Cell, Sunita Waseem – Christian Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement, Shumaila Ruth – Talitha Kumi Resource Centre, Anila Ansari – Pannah, Khalida Salimi – SACH, Dr. Farzana Bari – Quaidi-I-Azam University, Rukhshanda Naz – Aurat Foundation (Peshawar), Sarkar Abbas – Lawyer, Naheeda Mehboob Elahi – Supreme Court Lawyer, Mohd Waseem-Interactive Resource Centre , Vidya Rana – Journalist, Irfan Mehmood – Journalist, Victoria Bhajan – Dastak, Gulnar Tabassum – formerly at Dastak.
In the UK, we would also like to thank the following people for their specific contribution to developing, supporting and guiding the project with positivity, skill and patience: Erica Burman, for her dedicated supervision of the research and for sharing many of her skills, expertise and weekends during the writing up stages, Yvonne Prendergast, specifically for her dedicated support for the research team and the considerable time she committed to reading and advising on report drafts at many different stages, Khatidja Chantler, for her clear and focused support and supervision of the research at an early stage and for reading and advising on later drafts, Vera Martins, Philomena Harrison and Jalna Hanmer, for committing time to reading and advising on drafts towards the latter stages of writing, Andrea Grogan for guiding the team through many obstacles including the project finances, and Meg Allen who in addition to co-researching and co-authoring, committed a considerable amount of time to formatting the report (to her chickens’ dismay).
We would also like to thank the following individuals for their many contributions
and support at different stages throughout the life of the project:
Sophia Ceneda (formerly of the Refugee Women’s Resource project, Asylum
Aid), Rachael Brooks (42nd Street), Becci Cunningham (former volunteer at South
Manchester Law Centre), Dr. Aisha Gill (Roehampton University), Aarunima Bhatnagar
(Roehampton University), Kirit Patel (Oxfam’s UK Poverty Programme), Ilana
Mountian (MMU), Gill Aitken (CSIP North West Development Centre), Claire Bennett
(Refugee Women’s Resource Project, Asylum Aid), and Craig Johnston at Rap
Spiderweb Printers (for being so accommodating with deadlines).
Special thanks to 42nd Street, Vera Martins and Rachael Brooks in particular, for hosting many meetings and providing administrative support. Thanks also to Erica for hosting just as many meetings at Manchester Metropolitan University, our partner in this project.
This project was funded by the UK Big Lottery Fund. We thank the following organisations for additional grants and sponsorship in support of the research and the conference: Oxfam (UK Poverty Programme), CSIP North West Development Centre, The Tom Bloxham Trust, The Mirianog Trust, Platt Halpern Solicitors and Otten Penna Solicitors.
Finally, thank you to all at South Manchester Law Centre for enabling Nadia and Sajida to work so flexibly, for the considerable in kind support and for hosting the project.
The Team
The Research Team
Erica Burman – Professor of Psychology and Women’s Studies, Manchester
Metropolitan University – Research Supervisor
Nadia Siddiqui, Project Researcher, South Manchester Law Centre (secondment)
Sajida Ismail, Project Researcher, South Manchester Law Centre (secondment)
Dr. Meg Allen, Independent Research Consultant
Dr. Aisha Gill, Senior Lecturer/Researcher, Roehampton University
Aarunima Bhatnagar, Researcher, Roehampton University
Yvonne Prendergast, Independent Research Consultant, Trainer and member of the
Project Advisory Group
Project Advisory Group Members
Erica Burman – Professor of Psychology and Women’s Studies, Manchester
Metropolitan University – Research Supervisor
Dr. Khatidja Chantler, Lecturer in Social Work, Manchester University –
Research Supervisor from February 2007 – April 2007
Andrea Grogan – Finance Worker, South Manchester Law Centre
Philomena Harrison, Lecturer, Director of Mental Health and Senior lecture,
from June 2007
Sajida Ismail – Project Researcher, South Manchester Law Centre
Vera Martins – Director, 42nd Street
Yvonne Prendergast – Independent Researcher, Trainer and Consultant
Nadia Siddiqui, Project Researcher, South Manchester Law Centre
Steering Group Members
Gill Aitken, NW Lead Consultant for the Women & Equalities Programme, Care
Services Improvement
Partnership, North West Development Centre
Jennifer Bravo Mukasa, Leeds Housing Concern
Erica Burman, Manchester Metropolitan University
Dr. Khatidja Chantler, Manchester University
Amina Choudry & Nancy Leaver (job-share), Central Manchester Primary Care
Trust
Beate Dasarthy, Director, Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit
Andrea Grogan, Finance Worker, South Manchester Law Centre
Jalna Hanmer, International Centre for Study of Violence & Abuse, University
of Sunderland
Philomena Harrison, Salford University, from June 2007
Donna Hewitt, Salford Primary Care Trust
Sajida Ismail, WASP Project Researcher
Angela Jones, Women’s Rights Worker South Manchester Law Centre, upto end
of March 2007
Amanda Jones-Said, East Manchester Community Forum
Mary Keane, Refugee Action
Vera Martins, Director of 42nd Street
Yvonne Prendergast, Independent Researcher, Trainer and Consultant
Sandhya Sharma, Central Manchester Women’s Aid
Nadia Siddiqui WASP Project Researcher
Sophie Smailes, Senior Lecturer, Division of Psychology & Social Change,
Manchester Metropolitan University