It is a testament to the bravery and resourcefulness of women who have suffered unimaginable humiliation and cruelty.
The moving testimonies of women who survived years of domestic abuse feature in the first long term study of its kind in 30 years, which could help to improve women's chances of building a better future. Dr Hilary Abraham s from the University of Bristol's School for Policy Studies interviewed 12 women over a seven year period, tracing the effects of living in a refuge and how they coped living independently. Dr Abrahams, an Honorary Research Fellow at Bristol University's Centre for Gender and Violence Research , found that the women were keen to work and contribute to society but without access to affordable and appropriate childcare, they were constrained and hampered by a series of obstacles, such as difficulties finding safe and independent accommodation. Most noticeably, the women felt that longer term support and the wider availability of support groups might help to counter the sense of isolation, distrust and anxiety that otherwise tainted their lives as a result of years of abuse. Dr Abrahams said: ?Refuges provide an essential breathing space for women to recover from the initial impact of leaving and receive support as they prepare to move on. But support needs to continue to be available within the context of their new lives as they try out new ways of being and learn to live independently. As one of them said to me ?it's not just in the refuge, it's a few years down the line?.
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