In July 2019, Shama organised an Ethnic Connections Hui! that brought together nearly 100 ethnic therapists and community workers from across New Zealand to discuss how to prevent and respond to Sexual Violence in our communities.
Following this, and with the support of the Ministry of Social Development, we were able to launch our new venture – a National Sexual Violence Crisis Coordination and Therapeutic Services. These services are not only for women but to all.
Along with these two services, there are other strands of work that is in progress, to cater to not only addressing sexual violence but also developing a working tool that intends to upgrade the existing mainstream organisations that work with survivors of sexual violence.
With this in mind, our National Sexual Violence Crisis Coordination team has developed workshops that will be delivered to mainstream organisations across Aotearoa. The objective of these workshops is to inform attendees of the cultural understanding of sexual violence and various aspects of it.
These workshops, as they are based on the Family Violence, Sexual Violence and Violence within Whanau: Workforce Capability Framework, not only align with the framework but also address it through a cultural/ethnic lens. A total of six workshops are offered to all existing mainstream organisations that have crisis services or crisis support services.
For more information regarding our sexual violence coordination work or the therapeutic services please visit the relevant section of our website. You may also wish to contact the Coordinator Fariya Begum on 022 135 9545 in case you have a referral or any query regarding the workshops.
