nia and coronavirus – statement from nia’s CEO

nia and coronavirus – statement from nia’s CEO

Karen Ingala Smith

We are all trying to adjust to a very different way of life due to the impact and threat of coronavirus. We at nia know that for many of the women, girls and children who use our services, this may involve being forced into a situation where they have to spend more time with the person or people who are abusing them and where there are additional pressures due to money, fear, boredom, loss of jobs, closure of schools, which can be used to make excuses for abuse. For some, feeling trapped and powerless, may remind them of and reawaken feelings they experienced as a response to sexual abuse.  And of course, this is on top of all the worries and difficulties that all of us are dealing with.

We are working hard to make sure that we continue to provide specialist support to everyone we already work with, and anyone living in the areas that we operate in who needs us. We are providing support over the phone, by email or on-line platforms. We know that for some women and girls it will be more difficult to talk to us in private. We’re asking everyone that we work with to let us know if there are better ways that we can support them and making sure that our case workers talk about safety planning and any additional steps that we can take.

nia was set up to help women, girls and children escape from and cope with the impacts of violence and abuse, and to rebuild their lives afterwards. We know women and girls rely on us to support them through some of the most difficult things that they will ever face. We do not take that responsibility lightly and nia’s team of specialist workers are fully committed to do everything we can to be here in the coming weeks.

Karen Ingala Smith

Other resources:

Share this post

the latest from nia

In black and white … Audre Lorde lectures at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, 1983. Photograph: Robert Alexander/Getty Images

nia is celebrating Black History Month

Black History month has been celebrated in the UK since 1987, Black History Month is an annual celebration that acknowledges the contributions, achievements, and history

Our quality marks

Rape Crisis national service standards - Rape Crisis professionally approved
Advice Quality Standard
Safe Lives Leading Lights 2019 accreditation
Women's Aid national standard of quality 2018
Translate »

Sign up for our newsletter

Enter your details below so we can keep in touch and let you know about nia news, events and opportunities.