The political and social structures shaping violence in young people’s relationships in urban informal settlements in South Africa.

Dr Andrew Gibbs , Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Exeter

Young people’s lives in South African informal settlements are notoriously complex – with some of the highest rates of intimate partner violence globally reported in these communities. Yet our understandings of why these particular communities generate such high rates of violence remains narrowly focused on individual factors and dyadic processes. Drawing on our team’s work with young heterosexual couples in Informal settlements in Durban, South Africa, I will explore how informal settlement community dynamics become embedded in relationships creating violence.

Reflections on the impact of the current conflict in Sudan on the lives of women and children

Professor Nafisa Bedri,
Professor of Reproductive Health at Afhad University for Women

The war in Sudan is approaching two years, with no clear signs of it reaching its end. Massive displacement is still ongoing with the increased fighting between the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces. Since its inception, over 11 million people had been displaced, and almost half of them are women and girls and approximately 3 million of this group are girls under 18, who face unique protection risks. Over half of the internally displaced people are children under the age of 18, while approximately a quarter (27%) are children under five. Almost 7 million women and girls, and increasingly men and boys, are at risk of GBV across the country, with a marked increase in conflict related sexual violence reported across the country. Reports show that women and girls are abducted during raids, subjected to sexual violence, and forced into domestic servitude. 19 million children are out of school of whom 6.5 million — or 1 in every 3 girls and 1 in 4 boys in the country — have lost access to school due to increased violence and insecurity.
Human rights violations are widespread, with continued reports of gender-based violence (including child marriage and FGM). If the war continues, no child or very few in Sudan can return to school in the coming months, and will continue to endure uncertainty, trauma and violence, leaving a whole generation of traumatized and illiterate children. Despite these atrocities, women in Sudan, though are the most who bear the burden of the conflict, but, through their solidarity and women led groups and organizations have been playing a crucial role as frontline responders, supporting each other, their families and the community by providing a wide range of services including food, shelter within their homes, healthcare and social support. Through their advocacy work, which often is not heard beyond the boundaries of the local sites, are giving their fellow country women and girls voices that reflect and tell stories of resilience and strength in the face of the of conflict, calling for more support for the many who still need protection and humanitarian support. 

Women, violence and resilience in Nepal

Ms Sumeera Shrestha, Country Director at Childaid Network Foundation Nepal and Founder of Gyanbodh Research and Development Services

I will talk about women’s rights in Nepal, some context especially different forms of violence against women in Nepal in different sectors, and the structural and the practical challenges faced while accessing justice by the survivors. I will also talk about the violence triggered by disasters and the vulnerability of women and the role of different women’s rights organizations to address VAR at local and national level. I will share some related findings from our current ongoing research.

Intersecting Injustices: Gender-Based Violence and Immigration Policy in the UK

Shamila Dhana , Co-Founder of HAVEN and Chair of Portsmouth City of Sanctuary

This talk examines how UK immigration policy intersects with gender-based violence, creating compounded risks and systemic barriers for migrant and refugee women. It explores how legal precarity, the “hostile environment,” and lack of access to safe reporting mechanisms contribute to a cycle of silence, dependency, and continued abuse. Through a critical analysis of policy frameworks, lived experiences, and frontline casework, the talk highlights how immigration controls can undermine protections for survivors. 

Turkey’s (Failing) Positive Obligations in Combatting Violence against Women: Looking Behind the Judgments

Dr Devran Gulel
, Researcher in Gender Equality and Law at University of Portsmouth

Fifteen years after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Turkey has a “climate conducive to domestic violence” in the landmark Opuz v. Turkey case (2009), Dr Gulel reveals how Turkey’s authoritarian and islamist transformation has deepened rather than addressed the crisis of violence against women (VAW) in the country. Through systematic analysis of legal frameworks, judicial decisions, and government policies, this presentation exposes how the state fails across all four pillars of due diligence: prevention, investigation, prosecution, and remedy provision. The research also demonstrates how Turkey’s unconstitutional withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention represents the culmination of deterioration of women’s rights and freedoms since Erdogan and his party, AKP, came into power in 2002. Dr Gulel’s work provides essential evidence for understanding how national authorities systematically evade their obligation to protect (female) citizens. This analysis reveals patterns crucial for policymakers and practitioners working to enforce state compliance with VAW prevention obligations globally.

Violence and abuse in the context of bordering regimes, exploitation and vulnerability: Conceptualising and responding to transnational marriage abandonment

Professor Sundari Anitha
, Chair in Sociological Studies at the University of Sheffield

Over the last decade, the lens that has been utilised to understand domestic violence has expanded beyond a focus on the intimate relationship and the family to incorporate the role of structural factors such as state immigration policies, not simply in relation to enhancing the barriers to disclosure, exit and possible remedies, but indeed in exacerbating the power imbalance within relationships and in thus shaping the nature and forms of abuse. Abandonment within the context of marriage is generally not considered a form of violence against women. However, due to its intention and impact, transnational marriage abandonment needs to be conceptualised as a form of domestic violence as it entails the deceptive/coerced cross-border abandonment or immobilisation of the immigrant wife that is intended to deprive her of her financial and settlement rights and to maintain control over her. This presentation draws upon my recent research and upon the impact of this research in bringing about practice and policy developments to address this form of violence and abuse.