Womens Aid Federation England Archive 1974-2020

Women’s Aid Federation England (WAFE) is the national coordinating body for all local and domestic violence services, including refuges in England. It provides information, training and resources to these services as well as to other agencies. It monitors the experiences of and the provision for women and children suffering abuse. It lobbies, advocates and campaigns throughout England.

The archive encapsulates the broad spectrum of its work. Growing out of the Women’s Liberation Movement in 1974 the organisation moved in twenty years from being one which met with aggression from the police to one which was highly regarded for its knowledge and research. The organisation marks its 50th year in 2024. WAFE is working in collaboration with the University of Leeds Special Collections and the Feminist Archive North (FAN) to safeguard the historical record and make it accessible for research.  Collection, appraisal, documentation and preservation will ensure the collection is publicly available before this milestone year. New research collaborations will become active, learning resources will be created, and knowledge of WAFE's activity and significance will be shared and exchanged. The collection has interdisciplinary research significance and is a major resource for WAFEs own understanding of its contribution to health and society.