ABSTRACT
This chapter explores aspects of the sector's journey from the early days of its development to its current position both within the United Kingdom (UK). The UK benefits from being one of the few regions in the global north to have an established network of specialist services for black and minority ethnic (BME) women and girls who have experienced gender violence. BME organisations repeatedly failed to address sexism, seeing discourses on gender equality as dividing the black family/community and taking the emphasis away from the more pressing issues of racism. As a result, BME women activists began to organise, establishing groups such as Organisation of Women of Asian and African Descent (OWAAD), Asian Women's Movement (AWAZ) and Brixton Black Women's Group all of which addressed racism and sexism. Policy and practice approaches which have emerged over the last five years have tended to emphasise criminal justice outcomes and risk management as opposed to an overall vision of women's empowerment.
