[WiLT] Briefing for local infrastructure organisations on championing local third sector domestic violence services

[WiL Admin]

Briefing for local infrastructure organisations on championing local
third sector domestic violence services

In the 30 years since the advent of services for women experiencing
domestic and sexual violence, central and local government have come
to recognise domestic and sexual violence as a serious crime which
impacts not only on individual women and children, but society and the
economy as a whole.

Today, local domestic and sexual violence services - the organisations
which began the domestic and sexual violence movement - have
transformed into professional third sector service providers, and
remain the experts on domestic violence and meeting the needs of
domestic violence survivors.

However, as with many third sector organisations, local domestic and
sexual violence services are often small and participating in the
array of local decision-making fora is hugely - sometimes impossibly -
resource intensive. Women's organisations represent around 7% of the
total third sector, however they are severely under-represented on
Local Strategic Partnerships, comprising only 1.8% of third sector
representatives . Without sufficient representation in local
decision-making bodies, women's need are not represented or
prioritised in planning or funding strategies.

Local infrastructure organisations (LIOs), in their role as
representatives of third sector organisations, have a vital role to
play in ensuring that local domestic and sexual violence services, and
the needs of our service users, are represented at the local level,
particularly at Local Strategic Partnerships, and included in local
agendas.

In order to help LIOs to represent local domestic and sexual violence,
this briefing sets out:
* what domestic and sexual violence is and who it affects
* what Women's Aid members do
* the problems with current policy and funding initiatives relating to
domestic and sexual violence and services for survivors
* what LIOs can do to help.

To download and read the full briefing which st NAVCA's request Women'
s Aid prepared go to
http://www.navca.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/9719D5D3-5FF0-4105-86E8-409942972333/0/womensaid.doc