Resources
Contact Details for Violence Against Women’s Organisations in the UK
(All information on organisations taken from their own websites)
Scotland
Scottish Women’s Aid
Scottish Women’s Aid is a national office for Women’s Aid groups across Scotland. This website provides information about domestic abuse and a map of individual Women’s Aid groups across the country. SWA also manage Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline which is open 24 hours and can be contacted at 0800 027 1234. The DAAFM website address is www.sdafmh.org.uk
Rape Crisis Scotland
Rape Crisis Scotland is a national office for Rape Crisis Centres across Scotland. The website provides a huge amount of information about rape and sexual assault as well as a map and contact details for each rape crisis centre across Scotland. RCS also manage the National Rape and Sexual Assault Helpline on 08088 01 03 02. The helpline is open 365 days a year between 6pm and 12 midnight. There is also Textline and email support available.
Scottish Women’s Right Centre
www.scottishwomensrightscentre.org.uk
The Scottish Women’s Rights Centre is a collaboration between Rape Crisis Scotland, Just Right Scotland, and the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic. The organisation provides free legal information, advice, representation, and advocacy support to women in Scotland who are affected by violence and abuse. Full information on the service is available on their website. Their helpline is on 08088 010 789 and opening times can be found on their website.
Hemat Gryffe Women’s Aid
Hemat Gryffe Women’s Aid is based in Glasgow and provides a range of support and advocacy services for women from BME communities who have experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse or honour-based violence. HGWA can be contacted on 0141 353 0859 for more information on their service which includes support, advocacy, safe and confidential refuge accommodation for women and their children (if any) who are fleeing domestic abuse and/or honour-based violence. There is also a drop-in facility for crisis contact. The have expertise in immigration legislation, issues relating to spousal visas and ‘no recourse to public funds’.
HGWA also provides training to external agencies on issues relating to violence/abuse and BME women, children, and young people.
Shakti Women’s Aid
Shakti Women’s Aid is Edinburgh based with outreach services in Dundee, Stirling, and Fife. The organisation provides support and advocacy services to BME women experiencing a range of abuses including domestic abuse, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, and honour-based abuse from family, household, and community. They can be contacted by phone on 0131 475 2399; full information on services can be found on their website. Shakti Women’s Aid also provide training for external organisations.
TARA
TARA is the Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance which is the specialist organisation in Scotland working with survivors of trafficking. TARA was established in 2004 to provide support to women who may have been trafficked and exploited, as now defined in the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Act (Scot) 2015. The organisation can be contacted on 0141 276 7724 with full information on their services available on their website, including details of their 24-hour crisis response.
England & Wales
Women’s Aid
Women’s Aid England and Wales is an umbrella organisation for local women’s aid groups across England and Wales. Their website has a huge amount of information and a function that can help find local groups across the country. To contact them email info@womensaid.org.uk
Refuge
Refuge provides support, information, advocacy and safe, confidential refuge accommodation to women and their children (if any) who are fleeing domestic abuse, sexual violence, forced marriage, FGM, or trafficking. Refuge also run the 24 hour national domestic abuse helpline for England and Wales which can be contacted on 0808 2000 247. There is a huge amount of information on their website.
Rape Crisis England and Wales
Similar to its sister organisation in Scotland, RCEW is an umbrella group for rape crisis centres across England and Wales. This website helps find local rape crisis groups and links to the national helpline which is provided by the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre, Rape Crisis South London on 08088 02 99 99. More information on the national helpline can be found at www.rasasc.org.uk
Southall Black Sisters
www.southallblacksisters.org.uk
Southall Black Sisters website states that “Southall Black Sisters, a note for profit, secular and inclusive organisation, was established in 1979 to meet the needs of Black (Asian and Afro-Caribbean) women. Our aims are to highlight and challenge all forms of gender-related violence against women, empower them to gain more control over their lives; live without fear of violence and assert their human rights to justice, equality and freedom.” Their helpline is open Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 5.00 pm on 0208 571 9595. They can also be contacted by email on info@southallblacksisters.co.uk.
Northern Ireland
Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland
Women’s Aid Federation in Northern Ireland is made up of the nine women’s aid groups providing services across the region. There is a huge amount of information on the site including detailed contact information for each of the local women’s aid groups. There is a 24-hour domestic and sexual abuse helpline run by Nexus NI on 08088 02 14 14.
Nexus NI
As well as running the national helpline, Nexus provides support and counselling to anyone who has experienced sexual violence or abuse. For sexual violence support, Nexus can be contacted on 0289 032 6803.
Rape Crisis Northern Ireland
RCNI provides free and confidential support to survivors of sexual violence from their helpline on 0800 0246 991 Monday to Thursday 6.00 pm until 8.00 pm. They provide email support on their website and one to one support sessions with their support workers. Their website has information on rape and sexual assault as well as useful links to other organisations.
Contact Details for Violence Against Women’s Organisations in Europe
WAVE
WAVE Network - WAVE Network WAVE Network (wave-network.org)
The WAVE Network in Europe has 150 members across 46 countries, all engaged in work to combat violence against women and girls. The WAVE website contains information about all aspects of its work plus a list of support services across Europe with contact details that can be found here WAVE_folder180919_low.pdf (wave-network.org). Note: this list was drawn up in 2018.
Rape Crisis Network Europe
The Rape Crisis Network Europe is a central information point for rape crisis centres across Europe so that survivors or those working with survivors can access support at their local support service or rape crisis centre. There is a function on the website that allows you to find your local service.
