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Winners 2005
Individual Award: Pauline Campbell
Following the death in prison of her daughter Sarah from ingesting prescription antidepressant tablets, the day after arriving at HMP Styal – the third in a sequence of six deaths at Styal within 12 months - Pauline started a campaign to highlight the distressing reality of women’s lives and deaths in prison.
Pauline, with no funds, no family support, and bearing the grief of the loss of her only child, organises demonstrations outside prisons whenever a woman dies, has been arrested many times, and has worked tirelessly to bring the scandal of the deaths of vulnerable women prisoners to the attention of the public and government.
It was with great sadness that we heard about the death on May 15, 2007 of Pauline Campbell, winner of the 2005 Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize.
This is what the person who nominated her for the award had to say about her:
In January 2003, Pauline's daughter Sarah died after ingesting sleeping tablets, the day after arriving at HMP Styal. It was the third in a sequence of six deaths at Styal in the twelve months ending August 2003. Sarah was Pauline's only daughter.
Pauline has no partner or parents, and not much income (she is a retired college lecturer). Despite that, her efforts to highlight the distressing reality of women's lives and deaths in prison have been indefatigable.
Whenever a woman dies in prison, Pauline goes with a small number of people to demonstrate at the prison, usually, but not always, an all women group. So far, she's done that 15 times.
The women lay flowers and hold signs saying 'Why?' When a prison van arrives, Pauline stands in front of it alone, happy to take responsibility and the flak. She is regularly arrested -- at least nine times so far -- and has spent hours in custody, despite not having had a criminal record before beginning her campaign. Two court cases against her, brought by the Crown Prosecution Service, have been quietly dropped.
In 1997, one woman killed herself in prison. In 2004, there were 13. The death toll of vulnerable women prisoners is a scandal. Pauline is one of the leading voices trying to bring it to light, with no funds, no family support, and bearing the grief of the loss of her only child.
So far, her activism has certainly contributed to the then Prisons Minister Paul Goggins' decision to launch investigations into the deaths at Styal, and she has been instrumental in keeping the issue in the media as much as she can. Pauline Campbell is selfless and tireless, and her incredibly important work deserves recognition.
Pauline will be greatly missed.
Click here to read Julie Bindel's obituary of Pauline.
Group Award: SODASA Project
SODASA Project (Survivors of Domestic Abuse and Sexual Abuse) has been recognised for its recent work with Bangladeshi women, who have or are experiencing violence within their relationships, who were previously unaware of services which might be able to support them.
Other Nominees 2005
Individuals
Narina Anwar - Narina is an advisor on forced marriage for a personal safety charity called missdorothy.com. She has been an advisor to many organisations including the forced marriage unit at the foreign and commonwealth office ever since her own escape from a forced marriage in Pakistan with her two sisters. Her work includes educating young people in schools about their choices and raising awareness amongst professionals about the issues surrounding forced marriage. Her work includes documentaries, media interviews, speaking at conferences etc., and she is currently developing a website for use in schools. She was awarded an MBE and Bravest Woman in Britain award.
Jan Mcleod - Jan has been campaigning to end sexual violence towards women and children for more than 20 years, both in her paid and unpaid work. She is the founder and/or core member of a number of campaigning organisations in Scotland, including the dynamic and influential Glasgow Women’s Support Project. Jan has become increasingly known and respected for her work in both highlighting and seeking to eliminate the commercial sex industry in Scotland, which includes pornography, lap dancing clubs, stag parties and brothels and street prostitution. Jan’s concern for the women abused through this industry, as for those abused in intimate relationships, is noted by those whom she has supported, as well as colleagues. An effective government lobbyist, recently Jan was invited to become a member of an expert group set up by the Scottish Executive to investigate the ‘adult entertainment’ industry in Scotland. She is also a member of the SE committee on violence against women. Jan’s work, which is relatively ‘unsung’ has involved both supporting women and challenging infrastructures/individuals responsible for women’s subordination. She is tenacious and fearless in her pursuit of women’s liberation and equality; works well over and above the hours for which she is paid in her day job; has always, throughout her career, been involved in unpaid work and campaigning; is brave enough to take on the libertarians and the Christian right alike, where they seek to deny that violence against women is neither serious or as a result of male supremacy; and remains, always, the most approachable, warm and generous person. Jan is experienced in dealing with the media.
Jacqui Nasuh - Jacqui set up Project Chrysalis (Domestic Violence Services) in 2002 to raise awareness about domestic violence and to empower women and girls to make choices; the organisation now takes referrals from social services, Merseyside police, mental health organisations and housing associations. She has experienced male violence in her family, is passionately committed to addressing this issue, and works on a purely voluntary basis. At present, the work of the group is focussed on the refugee and asylum seeker community in the Liverpool area, and she is doing crucial work with the Chinese and African communities, seeking to provide information and education around male violence in different languages and to show women new to Britain that they do have a choice. The work is done mostly by Jacqui herself, with the group of volunteers that she organises.
Groups
DVSS [The Domestic Violence Support Service] Brent - This is a grass roots, women-centred outreach service that offers emotional and practical support to women experiencing or fleeing domestic violence. The project is a joint initiative between Brent Women’s Aid (BWA) and the Asian Women’s Resource Centre (AWRC) and provides vital specialist services in the borough, particularly in relation to Asian and African- Caribbean women and children. In the first year, a total of 352 contacts with families were recorded, over half were children receiving regular support. The majority of referrals come from women who self-refer and who have heard of the service through word of mouth. Over five years ago BWC and AWRC campaigned through the Domestic Violence Forum to commission a study in Brent and make visible the specific needs of women experiencing domestic violence and the barriers preventing them from accessing services. In 2002 Gill Hague published the report and verified grass roots knowledge that there was a lack of culturally sensitive provision in the borough; those women most vulnerable and at risk were slipping through the net. In 2002 Brent Children’s Fund funded 2 outreach workers, one based at Women’s Aid and the other at AWRC to meet this need. In the past 3 years the project has grown from strength to strength and supported a significant number of women and children, in particular Asian and African-Caribbean families; this includes women with no access to public funds, women with insecure immigration status, and women affected by extreme violence and gun crime.
Derby Women’s Centre - The Derby Women’s Centre is an essential resource for all women in the area. It has been operating for over 25 years. It aims to improve the quality of life for women experiencing difficulty, distress or hardship - regardless of background, age or culture. It provides counselling, support and advice, pregnancy testing and a crèche. It runs a ‘Freedom Programme’ which involves educating women in ways of thinking and behaving to keep themselves and their children safe from the harm of domestic violence. It also runs courses in ‘Self-Defence/Protection’ and ‘Understanding Stress and Anger’. There is a legal surgery which offers free advice on divorce, injunctions, and matters concerning children. The area which the DWC operates in has a large ethnic diversity and works closely with other organisations such as Rape Crisis, Victim Support, the Health Authority and Social Services. Last year over 4,900 women accessed the centre.