Our reports

Apna Haq is involved in writing reports on violence against women and girls (VAWG) from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities. Below are some examples of reports we have written or inputted to.

"Muslim Girls do Not Get Groomed": the continued invisibility of British-Pakistani girls ten years on from the Rotherham grooming scandal

Based on the insights of over thirty years’ work in Rotherham by Apna Haq, we consider how British-Pakistani girls’ lack of safety to speak out on issues of sexual violence and abuse has been shaped by racialised and Islamophobic narratives. We offer solutions to what is needed to create permanent, positive change.

Read the report

Power, bureaucracy and cultural racism

In 2020, our CEO Zlakha Ahmed co-authored a research article for the Journal of Critical Social Policy, titled Power, bureaucracy and cultural racism. The article explores the actions and tensions of confronting racism by South Asian, Muslim women living in Rotherham, and the many ways in which Apna Haq supports such women.

Unequal Regard, Unequal Protection Report

In 2016, Apna Haq directors, staff and service users took part in research to inform the Sisters for Change report titled ‘Unequal Regard, Unequal Protection: Public authority responses to violence against Black and Minority Ethnic women in England’.

We undertook leadership voice interviews, and our service users took part in survivor voice focus group interviews – showcasing experiences to lead changes in policy at local and national levels.

The report concluded that the UK government and public authorities are not adequately safeguarding the rights of BME victims of violence or effectively supporting the service providers that support them.

We launched the report in 2019 at an event in South Yorkshire, to share the report’s findings with representatives from local government and public authorities.

The Casey Review: Our response

In December 2016, Dame Louise Casey published an independent review, titled `The Casey Review: a review into opportunity and integration`.

We recognise the work that has been done by the government to support communities to integrate. However, we have concerns around some of the points made in the review, particularly around the subject of Muslim women.