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Below is a preview of the writing I plan to add to the Women's Shelter page on Wikipedia.

A Women’s shelter, also known as a women’s refuge, is a place of temporary protection and support for women escaping domestic violence of all forms. The term is also frequently used to describe a location for the same purpose that is open to people of all genders at risk. Women's shelters or refuges are offered in most parts of the world and are often just one part of a comprehensive system to support those in need.

Representative data samples show that one in three women will experience physical violence during their lifetime. One in ten will experience sexual violence. Women’s shelters help individuals escape violent situations and act as a place for protection as one chooses how to move forward.

Women’s shelters have evolved over time. Originally, most shelters were for emergencies and involved stays less than six months. However, more recent programs, such as those funded by the Violence Against Women Act, offer longer stays for women. Transitional housing can offer shelter for a year while certain communities offer public and private housing for longer periods. Additionally, many shelters now offer a variety of services. They provide counseling, support groups, and skills workshops to help women move on independently. Shelters also offer support for children as well as legal and medical advocacy.

Women’s shelters in the United States are supported at a state and national level.[1] Various non-profits also contribute to the services offered and provide a national voice for the issue. One example is the National Network to End Domestic Violence.[2]

History

United States

The first Women's shelter in the United States was established in St. Paul Minnesota shortly after the first domestic violence hotline was started. The numbers of shelters quickly increased in response to a larger woman's movement and by 1977 eighty-nine shelters were established. However, other early locations include Rosie's Place in Boston, Massachusetts, which was opened in 1974 by Kip Tiernan, and the Atlanta Union Mission started by Elsie Huck.[7]

Women’s shelters have evolved over time. Emergency shelters were one of the first services offered to victims of Intimate Partner Violence and resulted from the efforts of grassroots community advocates in the 1970’s. At this time, most shelters were for emergencies and involved stays less than six months. However, more recent programs, such as those funded by the Violence Against Women Act, offer longer term stays for women.

The number of shelters quickly increased in response to a larger woman's movement and by 1977 eighty-nine shelters were established.[8]By 2000, the United States had over 2,000 domestic violence programs in place, many with domestic violence shelters included.

Asia

Offering shelter to abused women is not a new concept. In feudal Japan, certain Buddhist temples were known as kakekomi dera, which acted as locations where abused women could take shelter before filing for divorce.

Europe

In Europe, crisis accommodation has been available to women for a significant period of time. Chiswick Women's Aid, the first widely known shelter for battered women was opened in London, in 1971 by Erin Pizzey.[5]

Services

Emergency Women’s shelters offer temporary refuge for women escaping acts of domestic violence or intimate partner violence. These resources are necessary because many women become homeless in this situation because they were financially dependent on their abuser. The average length of stay for most women is between thirty and sixty days. However, transitional housing can offer shelter for a year while certain communities offer public and private housing for longer periods. There is high demand for shelter services in the United States. A national census found that emergency shelters served over 66,581 people in one day and over 9,000 requests could not be met during the same period.

Utilization by women is not consistent across the population of intimate partner violence victims. Women with children tend to use shelters more often as well as those that are injured physically. Additionally, rural women have more trouble accessing services due to isolation and a lack of services.

Shelters offer a variety of services. They provide counseling, support groups, and skills workshops to help women move on independently. They also offer support for children as well as legal and medical advocacy. Most residents of Women’s shelters are the children of women who are victims of violence. This is one reason why more than half of shelters offer services for this portion of the population. Service for children often include counseling and group therapy options that are meant to strengthen parent-child relationships and help with mental wellbeing. Recently, shelters have responded to increasing numbers of male victims by offering help mostly in the form of hotel vouchers. This issue is explored below.

Men

In the United States, certain shelters do not permit access to men. This practice was challenged in Blumhorst v. Haven Hills, a court case in California. (Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. BC291977). However, the case was dismissed because the plaintiff lacked personal jurisdiction because he was not involved in an abusive relationship and did not need shelter.[20]

Effects

Women often suffer lasting mental conditions from their abuse including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. This has an effect on women’s career opportunities. Women’s shelters try to counteract these effects as well as prevent future instances of abuse. Many studies report that shelter utilization leads to better functioning of survivors and fewer reports of abuse in the short term. One can also link longer shelter stays with increased well-being, better help-seeking behaviors and lower rates of re-abuse. (779) This may indicate that transition services and longer residential offerings are valuable.

Criticism

Many females report re-abuse after leaving a shelter. In a study by Sullivan and Bybee, the researchers found an 89% rate of re-abuse when a female did not participate in post-shelter services. (779). The results sharply decline, however, when one does use these resources. Additionally, with current resource restraints, standard shelters do not provide the post-dramatic stress disorder or psychotherapeutic treatments necessary for full support.

Funding

Women’s shelters in the United States are supported at a state and national level.[1] Services are generally administered through Domestic violence Intervention Programs (DVIPs) which are funded by the Family Violence Services Act, the Victims of Crime Act, and the Violence Against Women Act.[11] Various non-profits also contribute to the services offered and provide a national voice for the issue. One example is the National Network to End Domestic Violence.[2]

Reports show that on any day over 5,000 women are unable to use services because of a lack of funding or space. Many states have also cut their funds for women's shelters. In 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger of California cut $16 million in state funding to domestic violence programs because of the state's budget deficit.[12] In late 2011 Washington governor Christine Gregoire released a budget proposal stripping all state funding for domestic violence and women's shelters across Washington State.[13] These types of budget cuts caused several women's shelters to close their doors, leaving women with no safe haven to escape violence. Local communities are now also taking it upon themselves to create a safe place for domestic violence refugees. In Grand Forks, British Columbia, a small community of less than 3,600, people organized the Boundary Women's Coalition, to support their local women's shelter.[14]