Women’s Aid says that in 2024/25, 523 women and 364 children stayed in one of its emergency accommodation refuges across Northern Ireland.
Of the 364 children living in refuges, almost half (46%) were aged between 0 and five years.
Along with the six babies born to women living in Women’s Aid emergency accommodation, a further 304 pregnant women were supported in the community, an increase of 14% from the previous year.
Demand for Women’s Aid services also remained high, with 8,393 referrals made in 2024/25.
Sarah Mason MBE, CEO of Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland, said: “These are not just statistics — they are women, children, families who have been affected by abuse within their home and have had to reach out to Women’s Aid services.
“These figures are a stark reminder, especially coming up to Christmas, that home is not a safe place for many of the women, children and young people we support.
“They are human beings who deserve dignity, respect and the right to live free from abuse.
“Today [Monday] marks the beginning of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence [a global initiative to bring attention to the scale of the problem], providing an important moment for us all to reflect on the scale of this issue in our society and to recognise that, for many women in Northern Ireland, home is not a place where they feel safe.
“Women’s Aid across Northern Ireland supports thousands of women affected by domestic abuse every year, and acknowledging the scale of this problem is the first step towards creating a safer society for all women”.
Women’s Aid Federation NI chief executive Sarah Mason (Pic: Pacemaker Press)
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The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, which was started by activists at the inauguration of the Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991, is used as an organising strategy around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
Women’s Aid says that in Northern Ireland in 2024/25, some 5,354 children had mums supported by Women’s Aid services.
They supported 66 women and 52 children with no recourse to public funding in their emergency refuge accommodation, with 55 languages spoken by the migrant women and children they supported.
Of those, 88% of women receiving support from Women’s Aid have been subjected to domestic abuse by a current or former partner, with 27% of the women supported by the organisation aged 30 and under.
There were also 11% of women over the age of 55 who required support.
Karen Devlin, Women’s Aid support officer, said: “These regional statistics help us to better understand the real, on-the-ground impact that domestic abuse has on thousands of women and their children across Northern Ireland.
“Behind these figures are the dedicated local Women’s Aid practitioners who provide essential support, from listening to women the first time they reach out, to ensuring they are safe and receiving the help they need.”
Women’s Aid urges any women who feel unsafe to reach out for support by visiting its website: www.womensaidni.org. If you are in danger, contact the PSNI immediately by dialling 999