Supporting Women's Aid during 2020
The rising levels of domestic abuse during 2020-21 was one of the most shocking statistics of the Covid Crisis during 2020. Olwyn Foundation funded Women’s Aid to help support their valuable work and outreach services during the crisis.
Research carried out by Women’s Aid uncovered the impact of the pandemic on women and children experiencing abuse. The Women’s Aid Survivor Survey showed that abusers were using Covid-19 to perpetuate abuse, and the abuse is escalating. In the survey, 67 per cent of survivors who are currently experiencing abuse said it has got worse since Covid-19 and 72 per cent said their abuser had more control over their life. Over three-quarters (78 per cent) of survivors reported to Women’s Aid Survivor Survey that Covid-19 has made it harder for them to leave their abuser. One survivor said “It’s hell on earth living 24/7 now with my abuser and I can’t get out to escape and put distance between us when I feel tension rising.”
Women’s Aid’s series of digital services have been more in demand than ever before. Online support services are more discrete than traditional phone lines as there is less risk of being overheard. We have seen demand for our Live Chat Helpline (an online instant messenger service) rise by 41%, with hundreds of women waiting to speak to one of our support workers. Funding enabled Women’s Aid to expand the opening hours of this service for the duration of the pandemic.
The policy work of Women’s Aid is led by survivors’ needs and experiences, and the charity are working to ensure they are central in the response to COVID 19. They are ensuring that government and parliament hear the concerns and challenges that member services are facing, and take action in response. This work has already ensured that frontline domestic abuse workers are recognised as ‘key workers’ and an initial government commitment to funding domestic abuse services to help protect survivors and their children at this time of increased need. However major questions remain as to how this will reach the frontline and our work to influence the level and distribution of funding to ensure all services can benefit is needed more than ever. Women’s Aid continue to coordinate policy and campaigning on domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women and girls with a wide partnership of organisations to share resources and intelligence, develop strategy and provide unified recommendations to government.