2024 might seem like a whirlwind year for Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, but for her, every year follows the same pattern: find a cause, pursue it, and force people and institutions to change through argument, debate, persuasion, and inspiration.
Sanghera already has a formidable track record in the fight against forced marriage and domestic abuse. Last year she found herself battling on two unprecedented fronts: the Church of England and the Harrods sex scandal.
“When you are wanting to drive change, it is going to be busy. I look for things where I can make a massive difference” she told the GG2 Power List.
“The Church of England was an experience. Interestingly enough, I was sacked from the Church of England. Let's be clear about that because I was not prepared not to tell it as it is.”
This was not just busy work – it was a seismic shift in how institutions responded to allegations of abuse. Sanghera’s role as a victim-survivor independent advocate for the Church of England ended abruptly.
“I saw what was happening to these victims and survivors, took it to the most senior people,” she said. “You don't get more senior than the Archbishop's Council and archbishops themselves. And in the end, they decided not to renew our contracts. But I have to say, that I'm still supporting those 11 in a voluntary capacity to get their cases progressed.”
Her dismissal, far from silencing her, amplified her voice. The subsequent resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury speaks volumes about the impact of her unflinching advocacy. It was a crack in the foundations of an institution long shielded from accountability.
The Harrods scandal unfolded dramatically, fuelled by Keaton Stone’s documentary. Hundreds of women, traumatised by decades of abuse under Mohamed Al-Fayed's regime, finally found their voice. As the appointed independent survivors’ advocate, Sanghera's role extends beyond listening
“I’m meeting these women and listening to their experiences, but my role is fundamentally to ensure that the processes that are being developed by Harrods do not cause further harm. But most importantly, it's for them to be heard, seen and acknowledged, which really is the work that I've always done right from Karma Nirvana to what I'm doing now.”
Sanghera’s unwavering commitment stems from her childhood. She was born in Derby to Indian parents. The campaigner witnessed firsthand the devastating consequences of patriarchal traditions.
“The charity (Karma Nirvana) was founded on my experience of being born in Britain being raised within the family dynamic where I watched my sisters being taken out of British schools to marry strangers, at the age of 15. Nobody asked where they've gone,” she recalled.
Her own refusal to marry a stranger led to family estrangement. “I'm still disowned 45 years down the line.”
This act of defiance foreshadowed her future battles against entrenched norms. The death of her sister, Rabina, who self-immolated to escape an abusive forced marriage, became the catalyst for her lifelong mission.
“Ultimately it was that experience that made me speak and come out because I wanted people here in Britain to understand that these things are happening not just in rural Pakistan and India, they're happening right here in Britain,” she said.
Sanghera doesn’t shy away from addressing the deep-seated cultural issues that perpetuate abuse. She highlights the complicity of some men within south Asian communities.
“These are issues within family dynamics where we know men are still favoured over women," she explained. “Men have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders, but then some of them may also be thinking the same way. Let's be clear about that, being the gatekeepers to their sister's honour.”
She also confronts the broader implications of cultural attitudes, referencing the Rotherham grooming gangs case.
“Nobody was having that conversation about the majority of these perpetrators being south Asian men,” she said. “They saw these girls, and I’ve met these girls, as white women that were easy meat that had no honour. Where do those bigoted views come from? I was raised with those views. This is still happening today.”
This is not just about challenging outdated traditions – it is about dismantling a system which enables abuse.
“What we don’t have is enough men standing up and taking a stand and speaking out against this,” she observed. “And that includes those in positions of influence and power.”
Sanghera's message is clear: genuine change requires men to become active allies.
The fight against abuse is not always overt. It often operates in the shadows.
“I wouldn't attribute these individuals to being clever,” Sanghera clarified, referring to perpetrators. “They're manipulative. They're looking for new tactics, new ways of actually trying to get your eyes off the ball.”
Sanghera's vision extends beyond individual cases. She aims for systemic change, and her ambition is lofty: a seat in the House of Lords. “I know where I want to be," she declared, “I want to be in the House of Lords because of the courage of my convictions. Not because I slept with somebody.”
This statement directly addresses the sexual harassment she endured from the late Lib-Dem peer, Lord Lester. “I complained after twelve years of keeping quiet,” she revealed. “The complaint was upheld. But I also did it because he made it clear to me that if ever I put an application in, he would ensure it was stopped.”
Her damehood in the 2024 King's Birthday Honours serves as a testament to her achievements, but it has a purpose.
“It opens doors, to be able to have bigger conversations,” she explained.
Her vision of a more just and equitable society, one where victims are heard and perpetrators are held accountable, drives her relentless pursuit of change. You sense that the fight is far from over for Dame Jasvinder Sanghera.
