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Story: Family violence

Women's refuge safety plan

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Women's refuge safety plan

Women's refuges, established by feminists in the 1970s, approached the problem of family violence from several angles. They provided a safe place for women and their children, and gave advice on safety issues in pamphlets such as this one. They also supported women who had experienced family violence to make informed decisions about next steps, and pioneered community education programmes on violence and its effects.

Using this item

Reference: Eph-Women'sRefuge-2005

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How to cite this page

Nancy Swarbrick, Family violence – Changing attitudes to family violence, 1893 to 1985, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/ephemera/28289/womens-refuge-safety-plan (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 26 April 2011.