Women’s Aid welcomes the Mayor of London’s violence against women and girls Cost of Living fund announcement 

Lizzy Dobres, policy and practice manager, at Women’s Aid said: 

“We welcome the Mayor of London’s £1 million violence against women and girls Cost of Living fund announced today. Current economic pressures have had a detrimental impact on survivors of domestic abuse and specialist domestic abuse services; this Fund could be a lifeline. 

67% of Women’s Aid members said if the cost-of-living crisis continues without intervention, services would have to stop supporting survivors, rising to 85% of services run by and for Black and minoritised women. Society cannot afford to leave women and children behind. They must be supported with wrap-around trauma-informed domestic abuse services. 

Women’s Aid has been calling for a ‘Help to Flee’ Fund to help women and children leave unsafe environments. Unfortunately, this Fund is only for London and we continue to call for a Help to Flee Fund to help survivors across England to escape domestic abuse. 

We look forward to continuing our work to ensure financial hardship doesn’t put women’s lives at risk.”