Women’s Lived Experience Voices

The Women’s Voices Group offers women, who have left their abusive relationship, the opportunity to engage in discussions, with the aim of improving services in Leeds through their lived experience. Engagement opportunities are offered in a range of ways including attending groups either face to face or on-line, 1-1 with a support worker or via email or telephone. Your level of involvement is your decision. There is no time constraints or commitment to engaging regularly. Your anonymous feedback is given to organisations, with a commitment from them that they will explain how they have used the feedback given and what difference it has made.

Women who engage in this work have talked about feeling supported in their recovery journey, being part of something which is making a real difference in Leeds and a happy and welcoming project to be part of. Read some of our participant quotes at the bottom of this page.

As a women’s group who have all experienced domestic violence and abuse, we wanted to have a symbol to represent us now – to reflect how we far we have come on this journey, and inspire the beauty and freedom of being our own true self. The butterflies we created are a representation of that and we are proud of who we are and what we have achieved being part of this project.
If you would like to join the Women’s Voices Group, please contact Nicola Marlow at: [email protected] or telephone: 07741552499

Latest News & Projects

Training Podcasts

In the first 18 months of running, the project has delivered resources to the Workforce Development Team to help in the delivery of domestic abuse training across Leeds. This includes podcasts talking about what good support looks like and where the victim-survivors are now, victim-survivors reflecting on their own journey with services, identifying learning opportunities and advice for those working with victim-survivors of domestic abuse.

Police Podcast

For seven months in 2024 we worked directly with the police. This work involved group meetings with senior personnel, individual meetings to reflect on the police handling of specific cases, meetings to explore police culture and language used with victim/survivors as well as identifying training opportunities.
The work was a success and has resulted in the police making internal changes to departments to improve the communication between DA Officers and Offender Mgt Officers. The police has acknowledged lessons learned in individual cases and informed the victim/survivors of the changes already being made to reduce this happening again, the project has developed a podcast to share within the police and with victim/survivors regarding this piece of work.

Leeds Domestic Violence and Abuse Strategy Foreword

Senior decision makers in Leeds who attend the Domestic Abuse Local Partnership Board asked the women’s group to co-write a foreword for the Leeds Five Year Domestic Violence and Abuse Strategy. Councillor Coupar attended one of the women’s group and the foreword was written, in the words of the women to reflect their involvement in developing positive outcomes for future victim-survivors.

Read the full foreword here: https://www.leeds.gov.uk/plans-and-strategies/leeds-domestic-violence-and-abuse-strategy

Quotes from Participants

“As a women’s group the opportunity to share our experience is invaluable, reassuring, empowering, as we now have a voice.”

“To be able to speak and to vocalise all of these things that I’d held inside, and all this anger and upset amongst other things was absolutely incredible.”

“All of us were listened to and that just knowing that we have raised issues and these have been fundamentally changed, is nothing short of a miracle.”

“I am glad I am part of this fantastic work and able to help make change in the community.”

“I just want to say on a personal level a big thank you. I am a true believer that you meet the right people at the right time in your life and it’s been incredible getting to know you and the work we’ve done so far – this work has helped me a lot and done wonders for my confidence and self-esteem. Please can I also thank you for inviting me to the victim group – I really do enjoy it. Let’s bring 2024 on in style, being the amazing women warriors that we are.”