Records of Hackney Women's Aid

The archive consists of reports, administrative papers and ephemera relating to Women's Aid centres, the Women's Liberation Movement and abortion. It includes a small amount of correspondence, minutes and accounts. Most of the material dates from the 1970s-1980s with 3 items dated 1993-c. 2000.

Hackney Women's Aid (HWA) (1975-fl.2007) established in 1975, was part of the Women's Aid London-wide and national network of women's refuges offering support, advice and temporary emergency accommodation to women with or without children who were experiencing domestic violence. HWA later became the nia project, which also has its own legal support and representation service for women, an information and referral line and advice/caseworkers that support women. They have specialist workers who advocate for and assist women who are affected by gender violence, also those who are involved in street prostitution, helping them to exit. They also work with women who have issues relating to domestic violence and substance misuse. Sinad O'Connor opened the drop-in centre in Dalston in 1998. In addition, they have Turkish-language advice, refuge and resettlement workers. Nia is a Swahili word that means 'purpose'.

The archive has been arranged according to the original order of the papers.

This collection is available for research. Readers are advised to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.

Two items (see 5HWA/2) are closed under the Data Protection Act, but are available in anonymised form. The original items will be made available in Jan 2076.

The Women's Library Catalogue

This collection was found in the Fawcett Library office with the Josephine Butler Society records in 1991 and is thought to have been deposited by Clare Wiseman. Three further items (printed flyers) have been added to the archive from the Women's Library Ephemera Collection.