Women's Aid Federation Northern Ireland

About Women’s Aid Federation NI

Our vision: 

Women’s Aid NI vision for the 21st century is the elimination of domestic abuse.

Our mission:

Women’s Aid exists to challenge attitudes, structures and systems which perpetuate domestic abuse. We seek through our work to enable women, children and young people to live life free from violence and abuse.

Our History

Women’s Aid is the lead voluntary organisation in Northern Ireland addressing domestic abuse and providing services for women and children.

The Women’s Aid movement in Northern Ireland began in 1975 and is made up of eight local Women’s Aid groups and the Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland.

Each local Women’s Aid group offers a range of specialist services to women, children and young people who have experienced domestic abuse. They are all members of Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland.

Our  principles are:

Survivor engagement: Women, children and young people are at the heart of everything we do and we will ensure our work is informed by their voices and experience.

Collaboration: We will work collectively and collaboraritvely as a Women’s Aid movement, to bring about positive change.

Empowerment: We will encourage women, children and young people to access support which will develop their inherent strengths, helping them to make safe positive choices and determine their own futures.

Equity, diversity and inclusion: We are committed to to equity, diversity and inclusion and will challenge all forms of discrimination.

Trauma informed practice and quality standards: We are committed to quality standards, trauma informed practice, and continuous improvement.

Working with others to influence change: We recognise domestic abuse requires a coordinated response and we are fully committed to working across society, with all individuals and organisations, to end domestic abuse.

Our Core Aims

We will work collectively across Northern Ireland to:

• engage with women, children and young people, to give them a voice and ensure they inform all aspects of service development and delivery.
• provide trauma informed specialised services to women, children and young people who have experienced domestic abuse.
• deliver preventative education programmes in schools and community settings to promote healthy non-abusive relationships and share key safeguarding messages.
• educate and inform the public, private, voluntary, statutory and community sectors of the context and impact of domestic abuse.
• provide quality assured education and training to a wide audience, to increase capacity to respond to domestic abuse.
• monitor, influence and respond to government policy and legislation as a Subject Matter Expert, giving a voice to survivors of domestic abuse.
• work in partnership, sharing our expertise with all relevant agencies to ensure a joined-up response to domestic abuse