Why do we exist?
Welsh Women’s Aid exists because a world without violence against women, domestic abuse, and sexual violence (VAWDASV) is possible and it will take collective effort to achieve it.
Our work is about joining the dots between survivors, support services, communities, institutions, and governments.
We are an intersectional feminist organisation. Our vision, mission, and values are founded on commitments to human rights, anti-discrimination, and freedom from oppression.
We are part of an international movement and a UK federation of four sister organisations, but we are independent, autonomous, and Wales-focused.
The fight to end VAWDASV in Wales is unique, because its political levers involve both devolved and non-devolved powers.
We exist to ensure that survivors and specialist services in Wales have a voice at all levels of government.
We are truly an all-Wales organisation. Our 20 member organisations and our Live Fear Free helpline give direct support, information, and advice to VAWDASV survivors.
We exist to ensure that survivors across Wales get the right support when they need it.
We work to ensure that every one of our member organisations has equal access to resources and funding, and equal opportunity to influence the policies that affect their work.
What do we do?
Our work in Wales began over forty years ago. This year has been the penultimate year of our strategy, ‘Still We Rise,’ a strategy built on the expertise developed over that time.
The challenges of a post pandemic landscape and the biting cost of living crisis have been vast, but our aims remain the same: to prevent abuse, to provide services and work in partnership with survivors, specialist services and other organisations.
Our strategic goals
Our Impact in 2022/23
Welsh Women’s Aid is committed to a vision in which women and children live free from domestic abuse, sexual violence and all forms of violence against women, and by doing so achieve independence, freedom and liberation from oppression.
As we look back at the year 2022-2023, I am proud to share with you how much work WWA has done, but more importantly how much progress we have made towards this overarching goal how much impact we have made. Each activity, each action, when viewed in isolation can seem like merely a drop in the ocean, with little chance of turning the tide on generations of oppression, yet when viewed together these activities are not a drop or a lone activity but a wave, a movement and progress towards a change that truly lasts. You will see the many ways that we have worked with others including our 20 incredible members who provide lifesaving specialist support every single day; our fierce survivors’ network of over 100 members who want to ensure that what they learned on their journey is used to inform better for the next survivor on the path and wider partners those who share our aspiration for a world free from abuse.
Sara Kirkpatrick
CEO, Welsh Women’s Aid
I’m delighted to share with you our annual impact report showcasing the great work in 2022-23 across Wales. It’s my great privilege to have been Chair of WWA since November 2021 and I am constantly blown away by the volume and quality of work undertaken every day. Our clear aim is to improve life for all women in Wales, women with a whole range of personal characteristics and life experiences, women who are engaged with us or our members and those who have no idea we exist. Enormous thanks to everyone who has been involved in delivering the work set out in this report. We still have many battles to fight (and win) but here is an opportunity to reflect on progress made.
Kirsty Palmer
Chair, Board of Trustees
What did we achieve?
What's next?
As we come to the end of our five-year strategy, we know we face a difficult future ahead, as demand on services remains high and specialist service funding sustainability has reached a crisis point.
Our dedication to eradicating VAWDASV persists, and we will persevere in looking forwards as we continue our efforts to raise awareness of the key issues we face, to represent Welsh specialist services to the best of our ability and ensure the voices of survivors always remain at the core of our work.
We will need further support from the government, from the community and from individuals to achieve our ultimate goal of ending VAWDASV, but we believe this is possible.
Ways to join our movement
If you share our goals and values, there are many ways to get involved: