Julie James, Leader of the House and Chief Whip
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
I am pleased to announce the appointment of the new National Advisors for Violence Against Women, Gender-based Violence, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence. Yasmin Khan and Nazir Afzal will take up the post on a job-share basis on 22nd January and will replace Rhian Bowen-Davies who ably exercised this role until she stepped down in the autumn.
Between them the appointees have a tremendous range of experience, knowledge and skills to bring to the role. Yasmin Khan is the director of the Halo Project, a charity which helps people who have suffered forced marriage and honour-based violence. Halo was named small charity of the Year in the 2017 North East Charities Awards. She has worked with women and communities in addressing inequalities in the field of employment, education and training. Her work has led to the development of the first Forced Marriage/Honour Based Violence case scrutiny group in the UK
Nazir Afzal has a distinguished career in the Crown Prosecution service and more recently as Chief Executive of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners. He has prosecuted some of the most high profile cases in the country and was England and Wales’s policy lead for child abuse, hate crime including disability, violence against women and honour-based violence.
Yasmin and Nazir will advise the Welsh Government on how most effectively to implement the Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015. They will also work with victims and survivors and with other partners to shape and inform improvements in the way services are planned, commissioned and delivered.
This appointment has been keenly anticipated by the sector and I look forward to working with the new National Advisors.