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Women's Refuge
New Zealand family violence and intimate partner violence statistics remain high. Recent statistics show that a third of the population has experienced some form of family violence at least once in their lifetime. Women are particularly at risk; they experience more acts of violence across their lifetime and more severe violence and are more impacted by the violence they experience. This risk is also compounded by other intersecting identities including being Māori, having a disability, being part of the rainbow community and more. [1] [2]
About Women’s Refuges
The women’s refuge movement in Aotearoa New Zealand emerged in the 1970s. It was influenced by the work of a number of feminist groups and emerged in response to an increased awareness of family violence in the community. Throughout the years women’s refuges have played a key role in advocating for women and tamariki, including advocating for systemic changes and legislation.
The Ministry of Social Development’s role
The Ministry of Social Development has a long-standing history of supporting women’s refuges across the country. MSD’s investment in women’s refuges has increased in recent years through Budget initiatives focused on improving safety, stability, and long-term wellbeing for families affected by violence.
The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) funds and partners with 55 women’s refuges across Aotearoa New Zealand. MSD works with the National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges (NCIWR) and independent refuges (not affiliated to NCIWR) to ensure women and tamariki have access to safe, specialist family violence support.
Women’s Refuges deliver 24-hour crisis response, safe housing, community response services, advocacy, and practical help to rebuild safety and stability. As such, refuges play a central role in the wider family violence response system and in keeping women and tamariki safe.
Child Advocates pilot
In 2021, MSD partnered with nine women’s refuges to pilot a Child Advocates service. Child Advocates support tamariki exposed to family violence by providing trauma-informed and child-centred support.
You can read more about Child Advocates here.
[1] Fanslow et al. (2022) Prevalence of interpersonal violence against women and men in New Zealand: results of a cross‐sectional study. Australian New Zealand Journal of Public Health 46, 2.
[2] Ministry of Justice (2024) New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey Five Years of Insights on Crime and Victimisation in Aotearoa. Ministry of Justice.