History
In the early 1970's local Women’s Aid groups were set up in Wales offering shelter to women experiencing domestic abuse. This was in part a result of the rise of feminism and the belief that women had a right to be protected from harm. In 1978 these groups came together to form a national umbrella body, Welsh Women's Aid. The primary objective of Welsh Women's Aid was to co-ordinate the work and campaigns of local Women’s Aid groups in Wales.
At that time there were very few options available to women seeking alternatives to living with abusive and violent men, except in the context of divorce. Protection under civil or family law was almost impossible to get; domestic violence was not accepted as a reason for homelessness; the police and authorities dismissed 'domestic tiffs' as a trivial and time-wasting use of their resources; and the response of most agencies was 'go back home and make it up'.
Early refuges were run entirely on the voluntary labour of committed women. Premises were often in poor condition and usually overcrowded, but they provided safety and support and enabled many of the women who used them to break away and start a new life free from abuse.
In the spring of 1989, a Home Office review stated:
"One of the main problems experienced by the refuge movement is both the inadequacy and uncertainty of funding".
In spite of the recognition of the value of the unique service provided by Women’s Aid, the increased demand for refuge and support could not be met in the 1980s. Many women were forced to accept their dire situation as the chances of obtaining decent alternative housing, an adequate income and legal protection were slim.
In a background paper to the debate, the Welsh Office said:
" This relatively new and rapidly developing service has been, perhaps, enabled by being largely a voluntary and volunteer effort. It has had the flexibility to change and develop as ideas have developed and to create a "grass roots" ethos perhaps impossible to achieve in other ways. There is no doubt that the development of refuges and support systems for battered women and their families has met a need strongly felt but largely unmet for many years previously"
[Welsh Office Seminar on Domestic Violence in Wales, December 1983]
To address the problem of inadequate and unsuitable refuge provision, the growing trend of the 1990s was the development of refuges through partnerships with housing associations rather than local authorities.
Welsh Women’s Aid continued to engage with other organisations in Wales to promote a common definition and understanding of the cause and effects of domestic abuse. This has assisted in the recognition of the interaction and the interdependence between housing and other issues, such as health, education, social needs, state benefits and social inclusion in relation to domestic violence and abuse.
Welsh Women’s Aid is recognised by key statutory agencies as a children’s organisation because it provides specialised services to address the specific needs and particular problems faced by children as a result of family breakdown due to violence and abuse.
Welsh Women’s Aid has grown from a cluster of the ‘grass roots’ pioneering Women’s Aid groups of the 1970s to a leading national provider of domestic abuse services delivered through its 35 local Women’s Aid groups.
