On November 10, 2025, the United Religions Initiative UK (URI UK) hosted its annual Interfaith Week Conference at Coventry University, under the theme “Recognising and Preventing Violence Against Women: Amplifying Experiences of Women of Faith.”
The conference brought together faith leaders, scholars, activists, and community practitioners to explore how faith-based and interfaith approaches can strengthen the prevention of gender-based violence and support survivors within diverse religious communities.
In her presentation, Geneva Blackmer, Global Council Trustee for URI North America, shared insights on “URI Global’s Health-Based Approach to Violence Prevention.” She outlined URI’s holistic and interfaith strategies that promote community well-being, education, and collaborative engagement to address root causes of violence while fostering healing and resilience.
Speakers included Professor Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor (URI UK Trustee, Coventry University), Dr. Jyoti Shah MBE (URI UK Patron), Huda Jawad (Executive Director, Faith and Violence Against Women and Girls Coalition), Dr. Romina Istratii (Director, Institute of Domestic Violence, Religion and Migration), Imam Abdullah Hasan (Founder, Imams Against Domestic Abuse), Pastor Veronica Simpson (URI UK Patron), Cllr Abdul Khan (Deputy Leader and Faith Lead, Coventry City Council), and Deepak Naik MBE (URI UK Chair and URI Europe Board member).
Together, they explored how misinterpretations of religious teachings have sometimes been used to justify violence against women — and how faith leaders and communities can instead become powerful advocates for justice, compassion, and nonviolence. The discussion also highlighted the need for improved cooperation between faith leaders, public institutions, and professional support services.
The event marked National Inter Faith Week in the UK and was a collaboration between URI UK and the Centre for Peace and Security at Coventry University. As a key outcome, URI UK announced plans to develop a Domestic Violence Toolkit to help religious and community leaders recognise, respond to, and prevent domestic violence — initially piloted in the West Midlands region.
This meaningful gathering reflected URI’s enduring commitment to advancing peace, justice, and healing by bridging religious and cultural differences. It also reaffirmed the vital role of interfaith networks in addressing violence against women and girls through education, dialogue, and collective action.
