Wow what a week - it started with a great meeting to move further on plans for a Healing and Empower Women weekend in the Monday morning -to a LBH councillor sabotaging the whole thing on the Monday afternoon..!! Rather worryingly saying she was a Domestic Violence advocate yet behaving as a perpetrator, invading my facebook open wall - clearly not a social media savvy person as was read by my international friends... the whole conversation went global as it was being written by her!!! Rather alarmed that she did not come and speak with me and the event co-ordinator to see what our plans were to embrace not destroy... But in this she has highlighted the fundamental problem. When society talks about domestic violence they immediately think of the time of the attack and getting to safety. What society forgets is the women are survivors of their abuse, are out of the abuse (though some my still have controlling contacts with the perpetrators through child visits and further divorce proceedings) but the major major area that she is in is picking up the pieces of her life after getting out... and can be suffering the aftermath for years after. The journey to healing and rebuilding her life has begun when she is out of the relationship. The post traumatic stress the flashbacks the memories the (I am going to put it crudely) the psychological crap she has to go through is all part of the journey to her rebuild. It is this journey that is not being recognised and supported with a Strong & Stable Pathway of support. Hence the DWP will state a woman can have 13 weeks without seeking employment and receive benefit... but 13 weeks is trivialising the situation of the need to heal the depression she goes through and the undoing of the perpetrators socialising of her as to hammer her self esteem. Some women remember have long term and life time disabilities to live with and adapt to! The key support is financial support not failings of the badly written policies..... The failings as I keep stressing in the petition keep her tethered to the pain and identity of being the victim- not a survivor.... The councillor in question may say she is doing a lot to help the borough but the women I have interaction with have never heard of this advocate... There is not an automatic referral..... Of course some have moved in the borough after the abuse and some may have experienced the abuse years back but have fallen into the catch up psychological pain. AND the worrying part is she is a council member so it begs the question WHY is she allowing the women to be hassled with bailiffs for said council debts and eviction notices from the council..... This is the perverse action of the council to know that there are women with this history then hassle them like this... I quite by chance saw another LBH councillor yesterday in the local shops and he laughed at me.... did not take all I was saying seriously - even though I pointed out that- this is a FAILURE OF STATE DUTY OF CARE TO UN DIRECTIVES...... he continued to smirk and when I pointed out about the Tory policies pushing more into poverty and the DWP needs review... he continued to smirk and gave the impression "so what who cares!" Well I care.. and this is why this petition is in place!! The need is to make the challenge to a nationwide problem. The DWP need to protect those in need and are vulnerable. The women are in danger of return to perpetrator and the next beating be her murder or she commits suicide out of depression and the feelings the system is battering her. She feels she can never escape from the abuse upon her and the identity it brings. The feelings and the expression of pain some in society are clearly not understanding and taking seriously. But it is time they were understood and helped with good support. It was an horrible way this lady did the sabotage even to ringing the DVIP charity we were forming a partnership with to help them with fund raising and sponsors. The energy she brought with her was vile. What right does she have to dictate to women that they can or cannot have healing and be empowered? Do note that the London Based Charity DVIP is amazing and does follow the UN directives they work with the perpetrators as well as the women and the children. A model of good practice. We need LOVE CARE COMPASSION HEALING AND EMPOWERMENT - to restore our well being, reconnect with the self that was lost in the violations on our whole being; and be able to get back into the work market or build a business or career. This was another reason why the residential weekend was planned on the university campus to inspire to study and fresh start of a new life. http://womensvoicestobeheard.blogspot.co.uk/ I am so grateful to what happened to exemplify the issues and for you to see the focus that is needed. I am so grateful to the business people that I had an appointment with mid week that see this is an area of need to help rebuild broken lives. I am so grateful to the parliamentary staff, police and security my friends over the years of being an activist and lobbyist... that gave me the thumbs up to say come on keep going as we see what you doing... we hear what you are saying. I am grateful to my Votes of Women mug that reminds now every time I have my cuppa that WOMEN DO NOT GIVE UP in campaigns. I am grateful to you that are supporting this petition and are now moving us towards the next milestone of 200 - lets go viral and get it in the 1000s before parliament is in session... AS the problem is viral.... we need solutions with reform of DWP policies. Thanks Marjorie