“We must build a life with dignity and safety”: Halaleh Taheri on activism, resilience, and the vital role of CCR in transforming responses to domestic abuse
Halaleh Taheri is a name synonymous with courage, activism, and transformation. As the founder and executive director of MEWSo (Middle Eastern Women and Society organisation), she has been a passionate, relentless force for migrant and refugee women’s rights in the UK. Her life journey spans revolutions, exile, and rebirth across multiple continents—each experience deepening her commitment to justice and community-led action.
In this powerful thought leadership conversation with Standing Together, Halaleh shares how her personal experiences of forced migration, statelessness, and survival against the odds shaped her founding vision for MEWSo—and how CCR (Coordinated Community Response) and trauma-informed, culturally appropriate interventions are essential to ending domestic abuse.
From Rebellion to Rebuilding: A Personal Journey That Inspired a Movement
“I’ve been a rebellion activist all my life,” Halaleh begins. “Because of the revolution in Iran, I was very active. Then I was partisan in the jungle. And then a rebellion again. I travelled across two continents and five countries just to find a space that was safe.”
From Iran to Iraq, Turkey to Syria, Sweden to London—Halaleh’s story is a journey of survival, resistance, and rebuilding. Each time she sought refuge, she also created community.
“Every time I rebuilt my life, I made it my home. Not by blood family—but with chosen family. Friends became sisters. Strangers became supporters.”
Her experiences as a migrant, refugee, and asylum seeker taught her what it means to live with no status, no rights, and constant fear.
“It’s glass ceilings everywhere. You’re hiding. You have no security. No support. That’s why I built this organisation. I promised myself: if I ever had power, I would make sure no woman would go through what I went through, alone.”
MEWSo: A Community Anchor for Women Who Need it Most
Halaleh founded MEWSo in 2010 to support minoritised women, particularly from Middle Eastern, North African, and Afghan backgrounds. Fifteen years on, MEWSo has become a safe haven for women survivors of domestic abuse, many of whom are migrants, single mothers, LGBTQ+ individuals, or people with disabilities who face multiple barriers to safety, housing, employment, and justice.
“80% of my staff and volunteers come from the community. Some of them came here as service users. Now they are senior domestic violence advisers. We create opportunities for those who might still be learning English, or who are single mothers with additional needs. If they have talent—cooking, sewing, facilitation—we train them to lead. Because they are the heartbeat of the community. They are professionals by life.”
MEWSo offers culturally rooted domestic abuse support, legal guidance, education sessions, and campaigns on issues like polygamy and LGBTQ+ inclusion—issues often silenced within their communities. “We provide the support with dignity, with safety, with protection. And most importantly, we make sure they feel they are not alone.”
Why CCR and Legal Training Are Essential
Halaleh is clear: ending domestic abuse isn’t just about compassion—it’s about power, law, and structural change.
“Passion alone is not enough. To challenge things on a big scale, we must be trained. We must understand the law. We must be equipped,” she says. She reflects on CCR as more than a framework—it’s a strategy for systemic transformation.
“When advice is given on domestic abuse or LGBTQ+ issues, especially where they are taboo in the community, the adviser must offer more than empathy. She must be culturally aware, trauma-informed, and trained in the law. CCR allows for that integrated response. That’s what makes a difference.”
Through CCR, Halaleh is helping shape how statutory agencies work alongside community organisations. “When I first started challenging practices like virginity testing, people called us emotional. Now we’re seen as strategic, legal advocates. That’s the difference CCR makes—it opens the door for us to be heard not just as survivors, but as experts.”
Campaigning, Policy, and Looking Ahead
Halaleh’s advocacy has led MEWSo to run campaigns on polygamy, LGBTQ+ rights, and forced marriage. She was one of the first campaigners to challenge virginity testing in the UK—mobilising a coalition that led to legal reform.
But as she notes: “It’s gone underground. Girls are still suffering. So now we’re fighting the virginity myth itself—not just the practice. Campaigning must be ongoing, or the violence shifts form.”
Recently, with a National Lottery-funded project in partnership with Greenish University, MEWSo supported 100 women over three years and produced a research report with policy recommendations.
“I’ve learned that our campaigns must push for enforcement of existing laws. For that, we need lawyers. We need lobbying skills. We need to sit at policy tables. I’m learning all that. That’s the next stage of my journey.”
She credits connections with experts like Dr. Nasrin Rahimian at Oxford University as a catalyst for this next chapter—and reiterates that with CCR partnerships, the future of domestic abuse work must centre community leadership, legal fluency, and lived experience.
“We Create a New Version of Life”
“We help women rebuild life with dignity, safety, and hope,” Halaleh says. “We create a new version of life for them. One where they are not invisible. One where they are seen, supported, protected. That is what family should do.”
When asked what drives her despite the barriers, she pauses and adds:
“There is so much pain in our stories—but there is also so much power.”
That’s what fuels her fight.
About Halaleh:
Born in Iran, Halaleh was part of the 1979 people’s revolution against the Shah, and later against the Islamic Republic, headed by the Ayatollah Khomeini, after thousands of young activists were arrested and executed.
She was forced to leave her home, when it was bombed by Islamic troops, and fled to Iraq where she lived for 11 years.
During the first Gulf War, Halaleh was forced to flee again, through Syria and onto Turkey. But, with the help of the United Nations she was given asylum and later moved to Sweden.
She lived there for 14 years, gained a degree, and qualified as a social worker. Fluent in Farsi, Kurdish, Swedish and English, she made a career for herself, and again began fighting for women’s rights. In 2005, she moved to London and five years later founded MEWSo.
Over the years Halaleh has lost many loved ones in armed conflict in the Middle East, routinely witnessed violence against women (falsely claimed as honouring the family), and suffered gender-based injustices on a daily basis.
She made the decision early on in life to dedicate her time to helping women, and she knows from lived experiences the particular difficulties displaced women face and the tailored help they need to rebuild their lives.