FORWARD provides advice, one-to-one support and signposting to other services for women and girls affected by any form of violence. We also answer questions about female genital mutilation (FGM), other harmful practices, domestic and sexual violence. Our services for African women and girls are in London but we also have partners across the UK we can direct you to.
Referrals and contact:
If you need support and want to talk to someone, you can call us on 020 8960 4000. Our staff are here to listen and support you. If you want to access one of our other services you can self-refer or be referred by an organisation or your GP by completing our referral form and email it to [email protected].
Our services
Emotional support
- One-to-one emotional support with a specialist psychotherapist
- Group support
- Help to access counselling and other relevant services
Access to FGM Specialist clinics
- Help to access FGM specialist clinics, including accompaniment and support in translation (Arabic, Somali, Amharic, French and others). List of specialist clinics in the UK
Providing safe spaces for African women
Our monthly coffee mornings provide a safe space for women to share, discuss and learn from each other’s experiences. We run these informal sessions alongside specialists. We discuss important topics – including FGM, mental health, domestic violence, reproductive health and family law. Other topics discussed based on suggestions and outcomes from group discussions:
- The impact of domestic violence on children’s mental health
- Dynamics between genders in the community
- Intergenerational relationships
- A woman’s ‘value’ in the family, home and community
- Sex and sexuality
Other advice and support
- Casework support including accompaniment to social services
- Referring and signposting to English for Speakers of Other Language (ESOL), IT and other education/training opportunities
