50 Years of Activism: The Women's Aid Federation of England Archive

Media credit University of Leeds

Women’s Aid Federation of England is a domestic abuse charity that works as the national coordinating body for local refuges and domestic abuse services in England. They provide information, training and resources as well as monitoring and researching the experiences of and provisions for women and children suffering abuse. They lobby and campaign for women’s rights and legislative changes, both in England and further afield.

Set against the backdrop of the Women’s Liberation Movement, the National Women’s Aid Federation emerged in 1974 as a female-led, activist collective working to raise awareness of domestic abuse and gendered violence. It split into separate federations for Scotland in 1976 and England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 1978. Today, Women’s Aid is well established and respected for its expertise, conducting original research into the experiences of women and children suffering abuse and acting as consultants for government officials, legal figures and academics.

The Women’s Aid Federation of England Archive is held at the University of Leeds Special Collections and is a major resource for understanding the formation, development and running of the organisation, its contribution to health and society, changes in the law and cultural shifts in attitude towards domestic abuse.

This Research Spotlight explores the history and achievements of Women’s Aid over their 50-year history. For more detailed information about the Archive and how to access it, please see the Women’s Aid Federation of England Archive Collections Guide. 

© Copyright University of Leeds