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Winners 2001
Individual Award: Anne Ward
Anne Ward, a long-time volunteer campaigns officer at Doncaster Women’s Centre, helped to facilitate the BBC award winning drama about domestic violence, ‘The Knot.’
Group Award: Enough is Enough
Enough is Enough, based in Scotland, campaigned to change legislation that was detrimental to women victims of domestic violence and was awarded the group prize.
Special Award: Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan
A special award was given to the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), the oldest organisation of Afghan women struggling for peace, freedom, democracy and women's rights.
Other Nominees 2001
Individuals
Arlene Aitchison – Now retiring after just under forty years within the nursing profession, Arlene was instrumental in establishing a 32-bed refuge in Ballymena. As well as continuing to support the refuge, she has provided clinics in other towns and satellite villages helping women from these areas to access the serves of Ballymena Women’s Aid. ‘ She has been the foundation of the group and continues to devote herself to all concerned’.
Christine Casey – Christine was a founding member of Waltham Forest Haven and for over 20 years has supported survivors of childhood sexual abuse. She has been an adviser to a range of national media, and local domestic violence agencies. Despite serious personal difficulties, ‘ she inspires others by showing that with shared understanding, courage and positive action, something good can come in the wake of evil’.
Anne Clarke - Anne is a Domestic Violence Prevention Co-ordinator for St. Helens Council. In addition to her work, she has been active in a voluntary capacity in fighting against domestic violence.
Norma H Duncan – Norma is a founding member of the Aberdeen Friendship Group for women who have been sexually abused in childhood. She runs a help line and organises various group activities. Because of her work, women, ‘join the group as a victim and in a short time are proud to state they are now survivors’
Gillian Finch – The group ‘CIS’ters’ was founded by Gillian for women who have experiences of childhood incest abuse. As well as producing a Newsletter, Gillian organises workshops for survivors, family, friends, and professionals. ‘ For me and for many others Gillian has given so much help to justify our mere existence on this earth when we have felt worthless.’
Davina James Hanman – Davina is currently working on the domestic violence strategy for the Mayor of London. She has worked tirelessly to eradicate all forms of violence against women, withstanding many personal attacks from ‘powerful sources’, who sought, unsuccessfully, to undermine her resolve. She has been involved in relevant international campaigns and is an associate tutor at the national police training college.
Polly Hart – Polly is a founding member of Penzance Women’s Aid and has successfully campaigned to challenge legal practices specifically with regard to ‘contact.’ She has formed effective links with the police and the legal profession to further the interests of abused women in West Cornwall. Her campaigning work has taken her to the Home Office, The Lord Chancellor’s department, and the Department of Health.
Susan King – Susan, working with Harlow Women’s Aid, ‘virtually, single handedly’, set up the first organisation in the Harlow area to support victims of child abuse. ‘The centre survived partly on Social Services funding and on the magnificent efforts of Susan and her team.’ She currently supports women and their children within Women’s Aid houses in Harlow.
Catriona Laird – Catriona is the Project manager for ‘Open Secret,’ which works with survivors of childhood sexual abuse and non-abusing parents. She has fostered international links and has helped to host visits from workers in Malawi and Sri Lanka. She has worked tirelessly to pursue funding, negotiate with other organisations, and lobby MPs and MSPs.
Laurie Matthew – During the past 17 years, Laurie has worked on rape crisis provision, particularly focussing on the needs of younger women and on abuse prevention. She has won awards for her work on educational packs, which have been adopted by secondary schools throughout Scotland. She has written two books aimed at people working with young survivors.
'Linda'(name changed to protect identity) – Linda has given many women support in dealing with domestic violence, by raising self-esteem, being non-judgmental, and giving women hope for the future. ‘She will make you realise you are not on your own.’
Aileen McDermott – Following the murder of her sister, Marilyn, in 1998, Aileen has campaigned to raise the awareness of the inadequacies of lawful protection in the face of repeated abusers. This has included major articles in the national press, and her contributing to a ‘Frontline Scotland’ television feature. ‘Aileen has succeeded in moving the media focus from the tragic event of Marilyn’s death, to the wider societal issues relating to male violence against women.’
Monica O’Connor – As well as working in a Women’s Refuge for 7 years, while working with Women’s Aid, Dublin, Monica was instrumental in the development and delivery of training modules on domestic violence in Ireland, for the Irish police, health, and social services. She has also co-written 3 research publications on the subject, which together, helped in the formation of Ireland’s Domestic Violence Act of 1996.
Anne Pridmore – Anne is the Chair of UK Disability for European Affairs. Amongst her work for disabled women, she has worked to raise the profile of violence and abuse against disabled women, held a conference on this issue and is currently developing a fully accessible information pack. She has gained funding to establish a website for disabled women, www.edfwomen.org.uk, and is currently involved in the planning of the European Year of Disabled People 2003 in conjunction with the UK Government and the European Commission (details on EYDP 2003 at www.disability.gov.uk).
Dr Sara Scott – Dr Scott has worked for many years at Manchester Rape Crisis, supporting survivors of male violence. She has campaigned and brought to the public arena the issue of ritual abuse in a threatening climate of denial and anger. She has recently published a book, which gives voice to women survivors of ritual abuse not withstanding the serious risks to women who campaign around this issue.
Dr Wagiha Syeda – Dr Wagiha volunteers in the marriage bureau of Birmingham Central Mosque. Amongst other things, Wagiha facilitates Islamic divorce for women forced into marriages that then breakdown. ‘She has used her knowledge and skill to extricate many woman from the chains of forced marriages that are violent’.
Groups
Abusing the Issue – The group, set up by two parents who identified a need to provide support for women whose children had been abused, recognises the isolation and fear felt by women at a time when ‘ their lives had been torn apart by events’ and the need for women who have the same level of understanding to share their experiences. Amongst other projects, the group has plans to establish a helpline and develop a training video for social work students.
Calderdale Women’s Centre Domestic Violence Support Project – Amongst other things, the group provides legal advice and help with finding safe, permanent re-housing. ‘I have seen many stressed younger mums come in and, with the group’s help, blossom and go forward, re-housed and their strength renewed.’
Scottish Women Against Pornography – The group was formed by individual women and community groups having concerns about the proliferation of pornographic materials, its increasing availability, and the relationship to violence against women. It organised the ‘ Off the Shelf Campaign 1999’ in response to local concerns about sexually explicit and violent material in neighbourhood shops. Recently, partly due to their efforts, the Glasgow City Council took a stance against pornography in public areas.
Sutton Women’s Aid – In the words of the nominator, the group is exceptional, ‘ in terms of the extraordinary length of time they have been together, first as volunteers and thereafter as paid workers, and dedicated in terms of the commitment they have shown to raising awareness about the plight of abused women.’ The group is involved in training in the borough and is represented on major domestic violence forums.
Women in Secure Hospitals – The group works on behalf of women detained in secure hospitals, secure units and prison psychiatric units. Through its work it has highlighted the fact that a large percentage of women in the secure system have experienced male violence as children and/or as adults. They have also raised the importance of the secure system understanding that women are in secure settings for very different reasons than men, and have very different needs. The majority of these women need not be detained in such high levels of security. WISH’s campaign over the last decade has moved the Government to accept that action needs to be taken to move women out of high security conditions into a safe and caring environment for women-centred treatment.