Ragin’ – Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid Winter Fundraiser.

about

With 28 women murdered in Northern Ireland since 2020, 27  of them murdered by men, and 69 women murdered in total across the Island of Ireland we’re feeling pretty angry.

We are also marking 50 years of providing support and services to women abused, hurt, controlled and frightened by their ex/partners.  We shouldn’t still have to be doing this but we do, every day, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  We never stop and the abuse is not stopping.  We’re feeling pretty angry.

Sometimes people take guesses about Women’s Aid, that the staff are all man haters, dungaree and big boot wearing, shaved heads and rage.  These aren’t entirely accurate stereotypes, but lately we’re all pretty angry.  Over 1500 women in the community and their own homes needed support from us last year (2023-24) and 178 women and their 119 children were housed in our three refuges.  The writer Soraya Chemaly argues that rage becomes her and that  “Anger is a forward-looking emotion, rooted in the idea that there should be change.”

We want to raise money for much needed services to keep running, supporting women at court, running counselling services and development and recovery programmes, offering 121 and group support to children who have experienced domestic abuse and supporting trafficked women and navigating the often punishing housing, benefits and health systems.

We want to channel our anger, and invite you along to dance it out, maybe even sing! We’ll have performers, live music, an appropriately sized disco ball and some market stalls to browse and nibble at, all for our brilliant and anger worthy cause.  

Sunday 30 November – 8-11pm – Black Box, Hill Street, Belfast 

Tickets £15 – buy now to avoid disappointment.