Rise and Lead: Feminist Leadership Training – ongoing
Rise and Lead: Feminist Leadership Training aims to help participants tap their leadership through a feminist lens by equipping them with skills angled towards equity and inclusion.
Through free two-day workshops, the program covers an introduction to feminism and leadership, intersectionality, burnout and stress management. It also provides participants with practical tools for transformative change, conflict resolution, and implementing feminist principles. Ultimately, the program aims to challenge traditional assumptions about leaders, and enable women to fully own their power.
This project is delivered in partnership with Kanlungan Filipino Consortium and supported by The London Community Foundation.
Housing and Welfare Advice Clinic – ongoing
Our Housing and Welfare Advice Clinic provides vital housing and welfare support to ESEA women in the UK who are experiencing homelessness, gender violence, domestic violence, or trafficking, offering advice and signposting services in various ESEA languages.
The initiative supports women in resolving housing and welfare issues, navigating economic challenges, and preventing destitution. It aims to increase awareness of their rights, meet basic needs, and foster sustainable, positive change. By helping participants reach their potential, the project not only supports individual women but also strengthens their families and communities, creating a ripple effect of empowerment and resilience.
This project is supported by the National Lottery Community Fund.
MOPAC Safe Accommodation Project – ongoing
In partnership with Bahay Kubo Housing Association and Kanlungan Filipino Consortium, we provide safe, semi-independent accommodation for East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) women survivors of domestic violence. Our organisations are run by and for ESEA migrants with lived experience of trafficking, exploitation, and violence, with over 90% of staff and volunteers being ESEA women.
We have secured a 5-bedroom property to house up to 25 women over 15 months, prioritising those with disabilities or precarious immigration status. Survivors stay for up to three months, receiving 9.1 hours of tailored support monthly. Accommodation includes two bedrooms for pregnant women and new mothers.
SEEAWA employs a part-time Women’s Support Officer with lived experience, providing culturally appropriate support, crisis intervention, and confidence-building. Survivors are connected to Kanlungan’s services and offered check-ins after leaving. Future plans include partnering with Islington Housing Association to secure permanent housing for ESEA women at social housing rent rates.
———-
Vote for Rights for Southeast and East Asian Women – ongoing
The Vote for Rights for Southeast and East Asian Women project aims to enhance the political literacy of Londoners from East and Southeast Asian backgrounds, and help strengthen their democratic engagement.
Through social media campaigns and face-to-face discussions, the project equips individuals with the knowledge and tools to uphold their democratic rights. It addresses barriers to participation, such as voter registration, Voter IDs, and proxy or postal voting, ensuring greater access to democratic processes.
This project is supported by Groundwork and the Greater London Authority.
Pathways to Safety – ongoing
The Pathways to Safety project involves the development of a tailored toolkit, based on the input of women who have actually experienced gender-based violence. Through this project, SEEAWA also participates in the Women in Newham Network, fostering a collaborative space where various charities and organisations share resources and ideas to improve the wellbeing of women in Newham and surrounding boroughs.
This project is supported by the Smallwood Trust.
Let Us Lead the Change
Let Us Lead the Change was a transformative training program focused on empowering trafficked and abused Filipino women to rebuild their confidence and advocate for change. The program focused on immigrant rights, employment knowledge, public speaking, and social media skills, fostering leadership and collective care.
The program was opened up to survivors of trafficking and abuse. Following a survey, we delivered tailored training sessions to address their priorities: employment rights, financial stability, and communication and digital skills. The program held its culminating event in September 2024 and since then, participants are now building the tools and confidence to champion their rights and advocate for broader systemic change.
This project was supported by the Civic Power Fund.
———-
Women Reclaiming Our Safe Spaces
In the aftermath of recent racist riots in the UK, SEEAWA listened as community members reached out with concerns for their safety. Recognising the importance of reclaiming space with confidence, we hosted an away day in Brighton on 14 September 2024. Fifty participants, including women, men, and children from diverse ESEA communities came together.
Our team facilitated discussions on racism, mental health, safety, and well-being. A safety leaflet was produced and distributed, offering practical advice for everyday activities like work, school, shopping, and travel. Children were also supported in reclaiming space through play.
The event aimed to reassure our community of their right to a place in the UK and restore joy, safety, and confidence to their daily lives. Together, we fostered resilience and solidarity.
Community Conversation: Let’s Talk
Responding to the race riots, SEEAWA quickly supported our community through emergency funding. We invited women from the Filipino Mother’s UK group for an online session on how to keep each other safe from racist hate crimes.
The talk was presented by Rozina Iqbal, Director of Newham Community Projects and the Newham Women’s Network. The talk focussed on women in Newham, and outlined what a hate crime is, the impact it has on mental health and how you can keep yourself safe. It was well received by those who attended.
Justice for Bennylyn and Jellica Burke
Bennylyn Burke was a Filipina single mother to a little two-year-old girl Jellica. The two were brutally murdered in the UK in 2021, at the hands of a depraved man who had targeted Bennylyn after chatting with her online. Their violent deaths are a tragic testament to the ongoing threat to women and girls from the Southeast and East Asian community. Due to sexualisation and racial discrimination, ESEA women and children community are targeted by predatory men, and their vulnerabilities are compounded by insecure immigration statuses and having no recourse to public funds.
Our organisation was conceived in the wake of their deaths, as we rallied together to campaign for justice and support legal action for Bennylyn and Jellica.