Sikh Women's Aid is inviting people to complete a survey which looks to identify the prevalence and impact of domestic and sexual abuse in the Sikh Punjabi community.

This is the third year of the survey which asks for views from all Sikh women, whether they have experienced abuse or not, to ensure that a true reflection of the issue is captured.

It closes in mid September and can be completed at Sikh Women's Aid - National Survey 2024.

Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Art Gallery recently hosted a day of remembrance and reflection organised by Sikh Women's Aid to honour Sikh Panjabi women and girls who lost their lives to domestic abuse and honour based violence.

It is held annually on 17 July, the birthday of Surjit Kaur Athwal, a British Indian woman originally from Coventry, and married in London, who was killed in a so called honour killing in India in 1998. Surjit’s mother-in-law and husband were found guilty of arranging her murder.

Among those in attendance was Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, who said: "Attending the event was very emotional and sad, seeing the photos of young girls and women spanning many decades whose lives had unnecessarily been cut short in the main by men.

"The devastation that would have had on their families, especially young children losing a mother in their most formative years, is indescribable.

"I kept asking myself 'why?' Why not get a divorce rather than kill? Why not separate rather than kill? Have things really moved on in the last few decades?

“Upon reflection, there is still much work to be done to reduce violence against girls and women, and that's why it is really important that people take a few minutes to complete the Sikh Women's Aid 2024 survey."