History
During the early 1970s, the Women’s Aid movement in Wales brought to the attention of the public the problem of ‘wife battering’. As a result of the vast demand for safe places to live in order to escape domestic abuse, local Women’s Aid groups were set up in Wales. Welsh Women’s Aid, as the national umbrella body was established in 1978 through funding from the Welsh Office Local Authority Social Services Division. Local Women's Aid groups then became 'members' of this body. The primary objective of Welsh Women's Aid was to co-ordinate the work and campaigns of local Women’s Aid groups in Wales.
The local Women’s Aid groups provided safe, temporary accommodation (refuge), information and support for women and children experiencing domestic abuse. Women’s Aid relied very heavily on the unpaid labour and commitment of volunteers who recognised the need for services to support women and children at risk of or experiencing abuse.
Like its member groups, Welsh Women's Aid worked collectively. This meant that all decisions affecting the work of the group were taken collectively, thus empowering women by sharing responsibility and not misusing power or repeating unequal power hierarchies that women experience within society. Many of our members still work collectively.
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. Very little public funding was allocated to refuge work - it was usually in the form of grants under the Urban Aid Programme or through short-term Manpower Services Commission Schemes, and later through local authority grants under Section 13 of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977.
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The Wales Domestic Abuse Helpline is a confidential, freephone support and information service for anyone experiencing domestic abuse or wanting more information on available support services. Open 24 hours. Click on the logo for more information