The reality of Violence Against Women in Northern Ireland: Women’s Aid statistics in 23/24

Women’s Aid as a concept was birthed out of the feminist movement of the 1960s/70s to address the need for support for women, children and young people who have been subjected to domestic abuse.

Since we began supporting women and children in Northern Ireland in the 1970s, thousands of victims and survivors of domestic abuse have turned to us for help. Over the years, we have witnessed the stark and harrowing realities women face as they work to rebuild their lives after abuse.

Our network of emergency refuge accommodations across Northern Ireland has always experienced high demand. We have never been able to close a refuge due to lack of need. In the 2023/24 financial year alone, 527 women and 291 children accessed refuge accommodation with us. These are women and their children who could no longer stay in their homes because it was unsafe. Their lives were uprooted to ensure their safety.

Women seeking refuge come from all walks of life and at various stages of their journeys. Some arrive at refuge heavily pregnant or with newborns. In 2023/24, 10 babies were born to women living in our refuges at the time of the babies’ birth. This does not include the many women who sought safety with us alongside their weeks-old infants. Beyond our refuges, we also supported 266 pregnant women living in the community who experienced domestic abuse. It’s important to note that these figures only represent the women who were able to come forward for help. Many women, particularly during such a vulnerable time in their lives, are scared or unaware of the support available to them. Some only seek help after their child is born.

We also saw an increase of women accessing Women’s Aid services whilst living in the community in 23/24, with 7,637 women engaging with our floating support services. Again, these are only the women who are experiencing domestic abuse who come forward to our services, the prevalence of domestic abuse in our society means this is only a conservative estimate of women who have unfortunately experienced abuse, often in their own homes by someone known to them.

Sadly, these statistics are not surprising to us. Each year, Women’s Aid in Northern Ireland faces an ever-increasing demand for services as we work tirelessly to support women, children, and young people who have experienced abuse.

Local services are working at full capacity to meet the needs of victims and survivors who need vital support. Funding to increase capacity to deliver services continues to be a major issue that must be addressed if we truly want to effectively end violence against women in our society and create a community were women feel safe, and are safe, in their own homes.

Women’s Aid urges any women who feel unsafe to reach out for support. Women’s Aid groups exist in every part of Northern Ireland and are there to listen. You can find your local Women’s Aid group by visiting their website: womensaidni.org

If you are in danger, contact the PSNI immediately by dialing ‘999’ immediately.

You can also contact the Police on their non – emergency number by calling ‘101’.

Karen Devlin, Women’s Aid Federation NI