Independent Domestic Abuse Service (IDAS)

We started life as York Women’s Aid in the 1970s at a time when domestic abuse was largely accepted, when rape in marriage was legal and women couldn’t claim benefits in their own rights. There were limited options for victims who often found themselves trapped in abusive and violent relationships. We were one of the first refuge providers in the UK and we opened our local women’s refuge with the help of a York businessman who donated a two-bedroom flat to us. For many years we worked as a feminist collective, depending upon the generosity of supporters and volunteers to provide our services.