Welsh Women’s Aid is an intersectional feminist organisation working to eliminate violence against women and girls, domestic abuse, and sexual violence. Our vision is a world in which all individuals live free from all forms of violence, abuse, and oppression.
We strive to work alongside sister organisations and specialist organisations that share our vision and values. Ultimately however, we are an autonomous organisation, representing the views of our diverse and independent members across Wales.
For the avoidance of doubt our stance on service provision remains unaltered from the position which we published in 2018 and remains in full, which you can find here:
We recognise that the legislative landscape has moved although some issues which are referenced such proposed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act and the Ban on Conversion Therapy have yet to reach a meaningful conclusion. We are inclusionary and when we discuss ending violence against women, we inherently include transwomen.
Specialist services in Wales receive policy guidance, training, and support to ensure trans and non-binary survivors who have experienced abuse are supported to access services that best meet their needs.
This means that anyone who identifies as needing women-only or men-only support services, or as needing any form of support and advocacy in the community, should be offered a service that meets their need for support to access safety and to recover from abuse.
Every survivor’s individual needs are assessed to access specialist support – no matter their sex, gender, race, sexuality, first language, or disability, and a multitude of factors which contribute to what they will be offered.
Specialist services are committed to anti-discriminatory practice and actively addressing the intersecting inequalities experienced by survivors. We recognise that sexism and misogyny intersect with racism, transphobia, homophobia, and ableism to further complicate systems of oppression. Violence and abuse can never be truly eliminated where any still thrive.
Welsh Women’s Aid recognises the global and national evidence that perpetrators of violence towards women and men are, in a high proportion of cases, men, and that violence against women and non-binary people is both a cause and consequence of inequality. Victimisation and perpetration of such abuse reflects and reproduces an oppressive patriarchal order and is a fundamental barrier to achieving an equal and equitable Wales.