50 years of Women’s Aid and my three years at the federation’s helm – what does the next 50 years look like?
This year is an incredibly special one for us as an organisation – 50 years since we were founded. Born out of the women’s movement of the 70s and 80s, we have become a force to be reckoned with – over 170 member organisations comprising countless dedicated and inspiring women helping thousands of survivors and their children break free from abuse and live happy and safe lives.
Being our organisation’s CEO during this poignant time is something I feel incredibly privileged to be doing. Progressing women’s rights and freedoms, as well as fighting for their safety, is something I have always felt passionate about. Every March, as we celebrate Women’s History Month, International Women’s Day, another year of our federation, and on a personal note, another year for me at Women’s Aid – I take the time to reflect on all the incredible things we have achieved, but also, the difficult road that lies ahead.
It is now three years since I joined Women’s Aid, and it is a sad reality that domestic abuse remains devastatingly common, with many suffering in silence. Domestic abuse frankly hides in plain sight – you are highly likely to know someone who is a survivor. We are also continuing to grapple with the rising cost of living, which affects both survivors and services, especially the ‘by and for’ services which already face additional challenges when it comes to securing funding. Services are also still facing unprecedented challenges when it comes to securing sufficient funding. Only last month, our annual audit found that 49% of those surveyed were running part of their service without dedicated funding. This must change if we want women and children living under abhorrent tyranny to escape abuse, once and for all.
Furthermore, it is the reality we live with that women are still mistrustful of police and men continue to commit crimes against women with impunity. I believe that grappling with these issues will be an ongoing challenge for us as we look into the future. So what next?
In line with the Women’s Aid theme for International Women’s Day, I would like to be #BrutallyHonest – in an ideal world, in the next 50 years we would no longer exist as a domestic abuse charity. There would simply be no need for us, as the world would be free of domestic abuse and women and children would be safe. While this is my overall aspiration, the immediate reality for us is different. So, this year, we will be lobbying all parties to implement the principles outlined in our Come Together campaign and our General Election manifesto – to come together and make domestic abuse and violence against women and girls a priority. We will also continue calling for better funding for specialist services, as by investing £427 million annually, the domestic abuse sector could save the public purse as much as £23 billion a year. Lastly, we will continue fighting for, with, and on the behalf of, survivors. We want to ensure that they are heard and believed, that their trust in the justice system improves and of course, that the perpetrators are held to account for the heinous crimes that they commit.
We cannot achieve change on our own, it has to be done by everyone from the width and breadth of our society. There is already so much that we have achieved – the Domestic Abuse Act, the criminalisation of coercive control, the voices of brave women sounding loud and clear when it comes to informing policy, and the ongoing research into what influences our, and our children’s, attitudes to domestic abuse. Yet the road ahead is long and winding. Survivors are still being silenced and women are still being killed.
I would like to call on all of you reading to join us in these goals – call out misogyny and sexism when you see it if it is safe to do, extend your support if you are worried about someone, join us in our fundraising efforts, support calls to educate children and young people on what constitutes a healthy relationship. We will not stop until women and children are safe from domestic abuse.