New ONS figures reveal the scale of trauma across the UK: 5.1 million adults, nearly one in ten, experienced violence, abuse, sexual assault, or stalking in the past year, with almost one in four women affected in the UK. Yet these numbers only scratch the surface.

For women from migrant, South Asian, Middle Eastern, and ethnic minority communities, trauma is compounded by experiences of displacement, conflict, and systemic racism. Charities warn that mainstream services often fail to recognise these layered, cumulative harms, leaving countless women to carry scars that remain largely invisible.

For thousands of women, trauma is not caused by a single incident; it is built through years of overlapping and unrelenting pressures.

Many migrant women arrive in the UK after leaving behind children, parents, partners, homes and assets, carrying deep grief and uncertainty from the moment they land. Everyday tasks such as booking a GP appointment, speaking to a teacher, or understanding a legal letter become overwhelming when language and cultural knowledge are limited. This fuels isolation, dependency, and a constant feeling of not belonging.

Without understanding local law or basic rights, many women become vulnerable to exploitation, misinformation, or controlling relationships. For those with insecure visas, daily life is overshadowed by fear: fear of deportation, fear of homelessness, fear of losing their children, fear of being forced to start again.

Racism is not abstract; it is lived daily. Women report being ignored in shops, spoken to slowly, questioned about their right to be in the country, or subjected to name-calling on the street or public transport.

At the institutional level, migrant families often face longer waits for services, barriers to fair employment, and biased decision-making in housing, education and healthcare. Media narratives frequently portray migrants as burdens or threats, deepening feelings of exclusion and reducing trust in public services.

In many communities, women are discouraged from expressing emotional pain or seeking support. Mental health struggles are often dismissed as weakness or shameful, leading many to hide depression, anxiety, trauma or abuse for years.

This culture of silence means women carry unimaginable burdens internally, often with no safe outlet or support system.

Women with temporary visas or “no recourse to public funds” status often face chronic financial instability. Many depend on exploitative work, low-paid jobs, or financially controlling partners.

Without access to benefits, housing support or childcare, women are more likely to live in overcrowded, unsafe or temporary accommodation. Many stay in abusive relationships because leaving would mean destitution. The mental toll of this insecurity is immense.

Many migrant women come from families affected by war, political violence, caste discrimination, or generational poverty. These histories do not disappear; they shape identity, fear, behaviour and coping mechanisms.

When these inherited traumas intersect with new experiences of racism, displacement and loneliness in the UK, the emotional impact becomes compounded, affecting relationships, parenting, self-esteem and overall wellbeing.

For the past decade, SHEWISE, a London-based charity supporting Global Majority women, has been addressing this broader spectrum of trauma through culturally responsive, multilingual support.

In 10 years, the organisation has supported more than 7,800 women and girls, many navigating life in the UK without stable immigration status or family networks, or carrying untreated trauma from conflict, persecution, or childhood adversity.

Demand is rising sharply. In the past year alone, requests for support have increased by 30%, reflecting the urgent need for mental health services that understand culture, migration histories, and community realities.

SHEWISE provides:
Domestic Abuse Telephone Advice Helpline
Health and Mental Wellbeing workshops and peer-led healing circles
Guidance on Rights, Immigration, Housing and Financial Independence
Skills-Development Programmes that rebuild confidence and autonomy

To meet rising need, SHEWISE has opened four new drop-in support sites across London, offering safe, culturally grounded spaces where women can speak openly without fear, judgment or shame.

Sayeeda Ashraf, CEO of SHEWISE, said: “Trauma is rarely about one moment. Many of the women we support are carrying layers of trauma, from racism, from their migration journeys, from cultural pressures, and from being overlooked or misunderstood by mainstream services.

Healing requires understanding the whole woman and the whole story, not just the crisis she presents with.”

As inequalities widen and trauma cases rise, SHEWISE is calling on supporters, funders and community partners to help sustain and expand its specialist services. While the charity’s new sites have increased reach, funding is urgently required to meet growing demand and to ensure no woman is left to face trauma alone.