On 31 October 2025, a new campaign launches to confront systemic failures that leave Black, minoritised and migrant (BMM) abuse victims and families unprotected and without justice.
The campaign – Invisible Women – demands accountability, visibility and systemic reform across policing, other statutory agencies, Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews, inquests and the courts. It confronts institutional racism and discrimination in policing and policy, dismantles intersectional barriers to safety and justice for BMM women, and challenges their erasure in media and public life through family-led testimony, research partnership and strategic public engagement.
Formed in 2023 by Killed Women Co-Founder Jhiselle Feanny with the support of Dr. Hannana Siddiqui OBE of Southall Black Sisters, Invisible Women brings together bereaved families of BMM women killed through domestic abuse and fatal male violence – whether in public spaces or within the home.
The campaign launches with the release of:
In the week before the launch, Invisible Women hosted a private dinner with a number of high-profile guests who support the campaign, including campaigner Melanie Brown MBE and presenter and athlete Jeanette Kwakye. Click here to see a selection of photos from the evening.
Melanie Brown MBE, campaigner:
“This important campaign challenges racism and discrimination in policing and policy. We know it happens and it is up to us all to take action and call for much-needed changes. Last week I met some of the families who have lost their loved ones. Their stories devastated me but their courage to fight in the face of their grief just blew me away. It is so important that everybody joins us in this campaign and does everything they can to support them.”
Jhiselle Feanny, Co-Founder & Head of Outreach and Operations, Killed Women, and Co-Chair of Invisible Women:
“The bereaved families’ loved ones featured in this campaign should never have been invisible. Seven families are standing together to say: enough. We’re asking the public and institutions to stand with the families of this campaign – to say their loved ones were never invisible and to demand state accountability and action so that no more lives are lost.”
Dr. Hannana Siddiqui OBE, Director of Policy, Campaigns & Research, Southall Black Sisters, and Co-Chair of Invisible Women:
“Racism, misogyny, and community and state failures cost lives. Invisible Women demands urgent action to change cultural and religious norms which justify murder in the name of ‘honour’, and legal and policy reforms to end discrimination against BMM women to prevent femicide. Migrant women must have both status and support to escape abuse, and BMM women need specialist ‘by and for’ services and culturally appropriate responses so that such tragedies never happen again.”
Bekhal Mahmod, sister of Banaz Mahmod and victim-survivor:
“Although it brings so much sadness to my heart and makes me tremble with anger, this campaign will show the many failures of this country’s government and authorities that could have helped to keep these women safe instead of failing them due to their lack of knowledge and unwillingness to change laws for them and others who are likely to be in this position at some point in their lives.”
Family Quotes
Failure to act on perpetrators’ known histories; victim-blaming and dismissal of abuse reports
“It’s never the man’s fault. Women are always placed at the heart of the blame: What did you do to initiate this divorce? Why did you run away? Why couldn’t you make it work? And I think that goes across all societies, all backgrounds, all races. So whether it’s rape culture, or whether it’s sexual harassment, [the questions are always]: What were you wearing? What were you doing? Why did you go out there late at night? Do you really need to [go out for a] run on your own? All of those things, that kind of blame culture.” – Bereaved family member
“She was let down by lots of people. The police let her down. She’d gone to them so many times about the stalking, and they hadn’t taken it seriously. [She had an] injunction, [which] I don’t think was really taken seriously either. Sitting in the court, hearing evidence, [I felt] like, why didn’t you do more? Why didn’t you put something in place for her? Why didn’t you try and keep her safe?” – Bereaved family member
“The barriers are being heard, seen, understood. Because they will listen to you, and think, ‘oh, that’s so far-fetched’. And ‘that could never happen in the UK’. And they see you, and they think, ‘yeah, she just had a bit of a tumble with her partner’. They don’t look deeper into it. And they just don’t take you seriously at all.” – Bereaved family member
Lack of adequate training and coordinated safeguarding
“They had no training, the system was failing, they had no idea what they were dealing with.” – Bereaved family member
Failure to collect evidence and investigate properly
“We felt really disappointed with their behaviour and lack of enthusiasm to investigate the case properly. It got to a point where we were just contacting them all the time and trying to get information. They didn’t want to follow up the case properly or follow the leads. There was so much evidence they could have had.” – Bereaved family member