Abuse charity trustee gets UN award nomination

Dr Drashana Sridhar is proud of the work the Dahlia Project is doing to empower abuse victims to seek help

A charity trustee who tries to help women from south Asian backgrounds report domestic abuse within a "hotspot" region has been a finalist for a UN Women UK award.

Dharshana Sridhar works for the Dahlia Project- supporting victims of abuse from Peterborough's south Asian communities.

The project was launched in July by Peterborough Women's Aid (PWA), funded by the Home Office and has helped more than 70 women.

Ms Sridhar said it was "heart-warming to make a difference."

PWA is a domestic abuse charity that provides refuge to victims.

In 2022, more than 500 victims were supported and 30 adults and 51 children were offered refuge.

The charity launched the Dahlia Project to offer a safer space and encourage more women from South Asian communities to seek help.

It said language barriers, different family dynamics and a fear of being judged were recognised as factors preventing victims from coming forward.

PWA chief executive Amanda Geraghty said Peterborough was a "hotspot" for domestic abuse reports, according to research by Dr Mirna Guha from Anglia Ruskin University.

"In 2022, we looked at 87 stalking and harassment cases across Cambridgeshire and 62 were from Peterborough," Ms Geraghty said.

'Real need'

The charity said it supported victims irrespective of their choice to leave, or stay in, an abusive relationship.

In the past 10 months, Cambridgeshire Constabulary said it recorded almost 8,500 domestic abuse incidents.

PWA also offers support to male victims of abuse.

Dr Sridhar, 45, who grew up in Chennai in India, said she had been involved with community work "uplifting women" since she was at school.

The mother-of-six said: "I was nominated for the award in the Outstanding Contribution to Gender Equality category and the ceremony was held on 15 November in London.

"I made it to the top four.

"The reward is in the change you can bring. It's heart-warming to see the difference my efforts have made."

"There's a real need for our project. I want to tell them, 'don't ever feel that you don't have a voice- always know you are worth it'," she said.