Women's Aid Federation of England is the sole national co-ordinating body for the England-wide network of over 370 local domestic violence organisations, providing over 500 refuges, outreach, advocacy and children's support services.
[2] Women's Aid provides services through its publications and website, and runs a Freephone 24-Hour National Domestic Violence Helpline in partnership with Refuge.
Former Spice Girl Melanie Brown became a patron of the charity in 2018 after leaving what she described as an abusive relationship and was made an MBE in 2022 for services to charitable causes and vulnerable women.
In 1999, Women's Aid launched the first comprehensive domestic violence website in the UK and The Gold Book, the first ever UK-wide public directory of local refuge and helpline services.
Critics argue that the organization uncritically accepts all allegations without sufficient investigation, which can include false accusations made for financial gain or to obtain custody advantages.
The lack of rigorous verification processes is seen as a significant flaw, undermining the credibility of genuine cases and potentially leading to miscarriages of justice and the misuse of resources.