More support needed for survivors of sexual violence

More than half (56-per-cent) of female survivors of sexual violence in Greater Manchester have not been able to access the support they need, new research has found.

That includes women in Oldham who are less likely to see support after being victims of sexual abuse than those in Manchester and Salford.

The stark findings are revealed in a new report,Voices of Survivors: Hearing Women for Change, a collaborative research project by MASH (Manchester Action on Street Health), Manchester Rape Crisis, Trafford Rape Crisis and Manchester Metropolitan University.

The team spoke to nearly 400 female survivors of sexual violence in Greater Manchester via focus groups, roadshows and online questionnaires about their experiences. 

They found that where people live, women’s perceptions of their experience and inconsistent support were the main barriers women faced in accessing vital support to help them in their recovery.

One woman said: “‘I have never told anyone about it for fear of being judged… I have not told anyone before now.”

Another revealed she hadn’t accessed support because “there was nothing in my area.”

The Voices of Survivors (VOS) Partnership commissioned the research, funded by the Lloyds Bank Foundation, to influence long-term change in Greater Manchester. 

It found that location affects the likelihood of accessing support.

Just over 50-per-cent of the women who took part in the research in Manchester and Salford had accessed support but this fell to just below one third for women living in Bolton, Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside.

The research also revealed that specialist charities are the most helpful source of support, closely followed by friends, for many female survivors in Greater Manchester. 

The VOS partnership is calling for long-term commitment to change through the establishment of a Greater-Manchester wide network of survivors, third sector organisations and statutory partners.

Cate Allison, CEO of MASH, a Manchester charity which supports female sex workers, led the project.

She said: “In this report we hear the voices of hundreds of brave women in our area who have experienced sexual violence.

“Throughout this research it has been shocking to hear that so many have been unable to access the help they need.

“The VOS Partnership sees this important research as the beginning of a step forward for the better in Greater Manchester which will mean female survivors don’t face these barriers to accessing vital support.”

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