The biggest killer of women aged 15-44 is not war, disease or hunger. Globally, it is domestic violence.(Home Office)

The abuse can be physical, emotional, psychological, financial or sexual. Anyone forced to alter their behaviour because they are frightened of their partner's reaction is being abused.

Domestic violence can happen to anyone, regardless of their background, age, gender, religion, sexuality or ethnicity. It happens in all kinds of relationships. However, statistics show the vast majority of domestic violence is carried out by men and experienced by women. Domestic violence is rarely a one-off. It can begin at any stage of the relationship. Incidents generally become more frequent and severe over time.

Domestic violence begins because of the abuser's desire for power and control. It continues because the abusers are allowed to get away with it.

• 2 women are killed each week by a current or former partner (UK Homicide Statistics, 1998)
• An analysis of 10 separate domestic violence prevalence studies showed consistent findings: 1 in 4 women experience domestic violence at some point in their life. (Council of Europe, 2002)
• Every minute police in the UK receive a domestic assistance call - yet only 35% of domestic violence incidents are reported to the police. (Stanko 2000 & Home Office 2002)
• The 2001/02 British Crime Survey (BCS) found that there were an estimated 635,000 incidents of domestic violence in England and Wales in a single year.

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Many people struggle to understand how women can stay in situations so obviously dangerous and terrifying. Often the reason is precisely that - the cumulative effect of repeated physical and psychological trauma destroys confidence and self-belief. Imagine what life would be like if a violent attacker had the key to your front door…and just imagine how powerless you would feel if your partner had threatened not only you but your W.H.Ole family. The impact of continued abuse in intimate relationships can be devastating. Women escaping these horrific circumstances can often be heard to say, “…but he loves me…it’s my fault….I keep making mistakes…”

Women at Risk supports a UK based partner that has been combating domestic violence for 35 years. Together we are helping to support over 900 women and children every day, either in a refuge or via community projects. Without the services provided, escape would be nearly impossible for so many women and children.

For too long, domestic violence has been a taboo topic for too many. Our partner organisation is also working hard to improve education and legislation concerning domestic violence. The current systems are still failing and too much of the work of those combating the issues relies on the voluntary sector. More investment is desperately needed to achieve the aims of all women being safe in their own homes. We want to change the staggering statistics above.