Scottish Women's Aid
Encyclopedia
Scottish Women's Aid is a feminist charity
campaigning to prevent domestic violence
against women and their children in Scotland
. It was founded in 1973 and is an umbrella organisation for the 39 affiliated local Women's Aid groups in Scotland . It is the largest and oldest domestic violence charity in Scotland and coordinates support and temporary accommodation to women and their children who experience domestic abuse.
The organisation also campaigns politically on behalf of female victims of domestic violence to influence public policy and conducts advertising campaigns to raise public awareness of the issue.
, established by Erin Pizzey
. With help from local authorities refuges were set up in Edinburgh
and Glasgow
in 1973. By the mid seventies there were eight Scottish Women's Aid shelters.
Today there are 39 Women's Aid groups affiliated to Scottish Women's Aid as well as six non-affiliated Women's Aid organisations in Scotland.
In July 2009 Scottish Women's Aid controversially rejected almost £1,000 in funding that had been raised by domestic violence vicitms who had produced a semi-naked charity calendar
, with the organisation receiving significant criticism for comparing the fund-raisers with sex industry workers. Jacqui Kelly of Scottish Women's Aid defended her organisation's stance stating that they were "a feminist organisation" and they "have an issue with women removing clothes". Gillian Bowditch of The Times
Newspaper condemned the charity for confusing nudity
and pornography
, and accused them of being "mean-spirited, humourless dogmatists prepared to put a warped ideology
ahead of the sensitivities of the very women they are employed to help." The fund-raisers instead donated the funds raised to the Alloa
branch of Women's Aid.
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
campaigning to prevent domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
against women and their children in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It was founded in 1973 and is an umbrella organisation for the 39 affiliated local Women's Aid groups in Scotland . It is the largest and oldest domestic violence charity in Scotland and coordinates support and temporary accommodation to women and their children who experience domestic abuse.
The organisation also campaigns politically on behalf of female victims of domestic violence to influence public policy and conducts advertising campaigns to raise public awareness of the issue.
History
Scottish Women's Aid came into being following visits to Europe's first domestic violence shelter in ChiswickChiswick
Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with...
, established by Erin Pizzey
Erin Pizzey
Erin Patria Margaret Pizzey is a British family care activist and a best-selling novelist. She became internationally famous for having started one of the first Women's refuges in the modern world, Chiswick Women's Aid, in 1971, the organisation known today as Refuge...
. With help from local authorities refuges were set up in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in 1973. By the mid seventies there were eight Scottish Women's Aid shelters.
Today there are 39 Women's Aid groups affiliated to Scottish Women's Aid as well as six non-affiliated Women's Aid organisations in Scotland.
Funding
Scottish Women's Aid receives the majority of its funding from the taxpayer. In 2009 it had an income of over £1 million.In July 2009 Scottish Women's Aid controversially rejected almost £1,000 in funding that had been raised by domestic violence vicitms who had produced a semi-naked charity calendar
Calendar
A calendar is a system of organizing days for social, religious, commercial, or administrative purposes. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months, and years. The name given to each day is known as a date. Periods in a calendar are usually, though not...
, with the organisation receiving significant criticism for comparing the fund-raisers with sex industry workers. Jacqui Kelly of Scottish Women's Aid defended her organisation's stance stating that they were "a feminist organisation" and they "have an issue with women removing clothes". Gillian Bowditch of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
Newspaper condemned the charity for confusing nudity
Nudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
and pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
, and accused them of being "mean-spirited, humourless dogmatists prepared to put a warped ideology
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
ahead of the sensitivities of the very women they are employed to help." The fund-raisers instead donated the funds raised to the Alloa
Alloa
Alloa is a town and former burgh in Clackmannanshire, set in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on on the north bank of the Firth of Forth close to the foot of the Ochil Hills, east of Stirling and north of Falkirk....
branch of Women's Aid.