FAQs

Why do you use the term ‘survivors’?

Traditionally, women who have been affected by domestic abuse have often been called victims. We choose to use the term ‘survivors’ because we don’t want to revictimise these often incredibly courageous and resilient women. The term isn't perfect - every woman should be able to choose for herself how she wants to be described. But survivor feels like a good fit, as it recognises the journey that women have been on.

You say survivors here, but you often use ‘women’ - why?

We recognise that survivors of domestic abuse can be any gender. We use women because we are a charity set up to end violence against women. It is predominantly women who are survivors of domestic abuse, and our research about domestic abuse in churches shows that 90% of perpetrators are men. Having said that, any survivor of domestic abuse is welcome to get in touch with us.

Why do you talk about 'people who have been affected by domestic abuse'? Doesn't that feel impersonal?

People are affected by domestic abuse in different ways. We support not only women, but families and church leaders or groups that know someone who has experienced domestic abuse.

What kinds of churches do you work with?

We work with all kinds of churches - you do not have to be a specific type of church to address domestic abuse in your community. We'd love to hear from you.

Hasn't the Church contributed to violence against women?

Yes it has, and sadly in some places, continues to do so. We want to challenge the Church to change and take action to bring this to an end. We want the Church to promote healthy relationships and prevent violence against women. Some churches, and Christians individually, are doing amazing work in what can be very difficult circumstances. We also want to celebrate all that has been done and the steps that are being taken to enable women to flourish.