History and Memories of the Domestic Violence Movement : We've Come Further Than You Think

This book is a one-off history of the women’s domestic violence movement in the UK with some international and global content. It celebrates transformative women’s activism on violence against women from the 1960s on. Interviews with activists, practitioners and abuse survivors provide reflection on this inspiring movement of social change for women, shaped by a generation of pioneering activists. The book is illustrated with memories, anecdotes and memoir, and with poems celebrating women’s activism. It also reflects on the movement challenging rape and sexual violence. It presents an analysis of the radical early politics of the domestic violence refuges and Women’s Aid in terms of the empowerment of women, collective working and attempting to break down differences between women providing and using services. This particular history is almost lost from view and the book aims to recall and celebrate it. Further, it details the challenges of the Black women’s movement and the development of specialist services for Black, minority ethnic and refugee (BMER) women. Legal, strategy and policy developments are outlined. Also covered are cutbacks, the difficulties of seeking funding within competitive commissioning frameworks and attacks on the sector in recent years, disproportionately experienced by BMER projects. The discussions include attention to harmful practices like ‘honour’-based violence, FGM and forced marriage. The book also discusses international activism on domestic violence, the relevance of shelters/refuges across the world and trans-national women’s partnerships. It outlines the development of feminist research on violence against women. Projects, campaigns and key activists are honoured throughout. Front Cover History and Memories of the Domestic Violence Movement: We’ve Come Further Than You Think Copyright information Dedication Epigraph Table of contents List of poems About the author Acknowledgments 1 Introduction The aims of the book What is needed is a collective, collaborative effort A short book only: not a detailed or academic account A participant analysis How the book was developed What the chapters contain The wider social movements from which the women’s movements arose Conclusion 2 Everything seemed to change at once: women’s liberation and the women’s movement(s) from the 1960s For more detail And so it started Background and memoir The author on the display board too Personal memoir Where did the movement in UK countries come from? Fertile roots The new passionate movement Consciousness-raising On the one hand: patriarchy On the other hand: collectives and new ways of organising Groups and campaigns erupt almost daily Feminist newsletters, presses and books Adding to the Four Demands amid a multitude of conferences Lesbian liberation The independent Black women’s movement Campaigns, demonstrations, music, art: more and more of everything A dazzling array The Seven Demands of the women’s liberation movement 3 Women’s liberation: strands, debates, transformations So what distinguishes different strands of feminism? Transformations, conflicts and divisions Black women and intersectionality Moving on: identity politics Women in the academy A word on the wider women’s movements across the world Women’s liberation and the New Left Memoirs and memories Further books, archives and references A concluding word 4 The violence against women movements burst into life The first glimmerings: taking on violence against women Domestic violence and abuse: history and passionate moves forward Challenging the very fabric of relations between women and men New services, new beliefs, new ways of living Refuges and Women’s Aid Funding Continuing to grow Meeting the needs of women from Black and minority ethnic communities Books and resources for wider reference To conclude 5 Taking on rape and sexual violence, as well as domestic abuse The hardest issue: combatting sexual violence for the first time Pioneering work on rape in marriage and femicide At the beginning: small confidential groups on sexual violence The rape crisis movement London Rape Crisis Centre and other pioneers Rape crisis centres evolve further Women Against Violence Against Women and Reclaim the Night Issues for Black and minority women Sexual Abuse Referral Centres, Independent Sexual Violence Advocate/Advisors and other rape organisations In sum 6 A radical women’s politics: the light of innovation and new ways to organise Focussing on domestic abuse, including sexual violence The Support Group, refuge workers and ideals What was offered? Children and child support workers Being a collective Making decisions collectively Women using the services having as equal a say as possible Innovative employment practices in the collectives Abused women getting jobs and careers Regional and national organisation: spreading democratic decision-making A concluding remembrance 7 Wider feminist principles and domestic violence: making a new world Women-only Was it all over-idealistic? Wider underlying principles Self-determination and empowerment Struggling against oppression, racism and inequality Identity politics develop further Moving on from collectives A final word 8 As time went on: the movements on domestic violence and harmful practices grow More services in the 1990s The Black women’s movement and specialist Black and minority ethnic services Two pioneers among many: Asian Women’s Resource Centre and Southall Black Sisters Women from other minority communities experiencing domestic violence Women’s Aid into the 2000s Refuge, Against Violence and Abuse, SafeLives and Solace Justice for Women, Centre for Women’s Justice and fighting for women ‘Honour’-based violence, FGM, forced marriage and harmful practices BME women’s organisations and funding cuts 9 Struggling to change: campaigns, laws, and local and global strategies First came campaigning and direct action, and then came legal change Global frameworks on gender-based violence and women’s activism Legislation in the UK on domestic abuse and gender violence Wider collaborations, strategic development and multi-agency coordination Greater London Domestic Violence Project Helplines and men’s projects Recent years: commissioning, mainstreaming and fighting back Emphasis on risk assessment Then come project cutbacks and closures Conclusion 10 Activist responses, justice and shelters (refuges) across the world International initiatives to work with the police Are activist-inspired shelters a Western concept? Controversy and context-specific projects The World Conference of shelters To conclude 11 Expanding the movements, gaining the evidence: feminist research and transnational action Feminist research methods on violence against women Collaboration as a principle and making something new The new researchers set up centres The Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit The Violence Against Women Research Group (now Centre for Gender and Violence Research) The British Sociological Association Violence against Women Study Group The original gender violence research centres broke new ground 12 End word Bibliography Index Back Cover Acclaimed activist and scholar Gill Hague recounts the inspiring story of the domestic violence movement in the UK and beyond from the 1960s onwards in this captivating book. Memories, poems and interviews with activists, practitioners and abuse survivors shed new light on a period of immense change, shaped by a generation of feminist pioneers. From the women’s liberation movement until now, this book showcases the campaigning zeal with which policies, services and awareness-raising on gendered violence in the UK and across the world were built, including for Black and minority women. This fascinating history will inform and inspire new ways forward within the domestic violence movement.Acclaimed activist and scholar Gill Hague recounts the inspiring story of the domestic violence movement in the UK and beyond from the 1960s onwards in this captivating book. Memories, poems and interviews with activists, practitioners and abuse survivors shed new light on a period of immense change, shaped by a generation of feminist pioneers. From the women’s liberation movement until now, this book showcases the campaigning zeal with which policies, services and awareness-raising on gendered violence in the UK and across the world were built, including for Black and minority women. This fascinating history will inform and inspire new ways forward within the domestic violence movement

Acclaimed activist and scholar Gill Hague recounts the inspiring story of the domestic violence movement in the UK and beyond from the 1960s onwards in this captivating book. Memories, poems and interviews with activists, practitioners and abuse survivors shed new light on a period of immense change, shaped by a generation of feminist pioneers. From the women's liberation movement until now, this book showcases the campaigning zeal with which policies, services and awareness-raising on gendered violence in the UK and across the world were built, including for Black and minority women. This fascinating history will inform and inspire new ways forward within the domestic violence movement.

In This Captivating Book, Activist And Scholar Gill Hague Recounts The Inspiring Story Of The Violence Against Women Movement In The Uk And Beyond From 1960s Onwards, Examining The Transformatory Politics Behind This Movement Through An Important Historical And International Lens.