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A Bolton woman has won a national award for her 'hard work and dedication' in taking a stand against 'honour-based abuse'. Shana Begum, Bolton Council 's domestic abuse strategic lead, was recognised with the True Honour Award by the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation (IKWRO) at their annual event in London. Following relentless campaigning efforts and support for numerous victims Ms Begum joined the council as the Domestic Abuse Strategic Lead She is the brain behind the borough's Domestic Abuse Strategic Action Plan, co-authored with partners and survivors through the Echo Project.
The award presented to Shana Begum (Image: Bolton Council) Her role involves ensuring services meet residents' needs, capturing survivor voices, and organising coordinated awareness campaigns. Her community-centred approach extends to her collaboration with SafeLives, a national domestic abuse charity. She has played a pivotal role in shaping Bolton's response to domestic abuse and incorporating survivor voices into practices.
Her involvement with SafeLives also saw her share her story as one of 50 domestic abuse survivors for the ‘I Am’ project, where she met The Queen. Alongside her council role, Ms Begum has worked with international organisations and voluntary groups in India and Africa, focusing on training and campaigns on honour abuse and elder abuse. The True Honour Awards described Ms Begum as a 'leading voice in tackling honour-based abuse'.
Ms Begum said: "I am absolutely thrilled that I have been awarded the True Honour Award for 2025. "This recognition by IKWRO is not just a personal achievement; it is a powerful affirmation of the collective efforts we are making to combat honour-based abuse, remembering those we lost and empowering our communities to take action. "I am so grateful for the opportunity to work as the domestic abuse strategic lead for Bolton Council, where I collaborate with a dedicated team focused on creating impactful change.
" Cllr Rabiya Jiva, Bolton Council’s cabinet member for stronger communities, said: "I am immensely proud of Shana and this national award and recognition is very well deserved. "We are extremely lucky in Bolton to have Shana’s expertise and dedication in standing up for those affected by domestic abuse, providing support and protection alongside cultural change. Read more: Lucky residents of cul-de-sac win on postcode lottery What Julian Darby wants his 'legacy' to be at Bolton Wanderers What Julian Darby wants his 'legacy' to be at Bolton Wanderers "Shana is not only an asset to the council but to the town and I’d like to personally say congratulations and thank you for helping to make our communities safer.
" Honour-based abuse is a crime or incident that is committed to protect the ‘honour’ of a family or community. For more information about domestic violence or to find out how to report, visit bolton.gov.
uk/domesticabuse..
