Inner City Women's Group

Exciting news for this Labour Weekend...we are proud to be one of 4 chosen local community groups in Z Energy's Good in the Hood initiative 🎉 . Voting closes this coming Monday 23rd Labour Day.
👉Z Energy Ponsonby is giving away $4,000, and by choosing us you will be helping us to continue to make a difference in the lives of women in our community. For over 35 years Inner City Women's Group has been supporting women, especially those affected by family violence, through our programmes and support services.
🚙How you can vote...from today and all long weekend when you visit Z-Ponsonby- Service Station at 5/9 Williamson Avenue, Ponsonby, to fuel or charge up, you get your orange token 🟠 and can vote. So, we encourage and appreciate your support and would LOVE you to spread the word with any shares/tags 🙏🏼

is globally celebrated today to bring attention to issues such as violence and abuse against women.
We are so proud of the women we work with such as Katie pictured here with our GM Rikeeta.
Katie notes "With so many great causes out there, why did I choose to support Inner City Women’s Group/ICWG on Treasure Island Fans v Faves? The reason was very personal. I found ICWG when I was going through a very difficult time in my life😔. My relationship was at an all-time low. I had developed bad habits of reacting to feelings of powerlessness and a lack of control and it was coming from a place of fear. Then I would experience terrible depression. I didn’t know how to fix it and I was too broke to afford counselling or anger management.
That’s when I heard about ICWG. They offer free group programmes around domestic violence support, building self-esteem, assertiveness and breaking the cycle of anger. They absolutely changed my life😌 and if you’d like to support their incredible organisation, they have a Givealittle page https://givealittle.co.nz/org/inner-city-womens-group. 🤗
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How can we help? For almost 30 years we have supported women especially those affected by domestic violence. We offer programmes for:
💙 supporting survivors of domestic violence
💙 parenting support for women affected by domestic violence
💙 women and anger management
💙 offering assertiveness, communication, confidence-building skills and strategies
💙 women’s offender support services

🎉Wow, what a night we had a few weeks ago at the Launch Party for 🏝️Treasure Island Fans v Faves.
Check out the photos with Rikeeta our GM with show contestant - fan Katie Isla Middleton-Tansey 💙💙who has chosen us as her charity to support on the show .
🙏🏼 We're so excited she's been competing for ICWG and we've loved watching her on the TVNZ+ show creating memories with such amazing people

This is a cause close to my heart and well done Pet Refuge for coming up with such a novel fundraiser. In my work in DV I have met many a woman who won't/can't leave as she can't take her pets and can't risk leaving them. Such a valuable resource for the safety of our women.

Buy Pet Refuge Wrapping Paper Wrap your gifts and support us this Christmas!

This is so true, and why our groups work. We take women when they are despairing, teach them about coercive control, intermingle them with other women who share similar experiences and so they grow (4,5&6). Excellent t synopsis of the process It's not ok campaign.

So many of our women struggle to believe they are being abused if they are not being physically assaulted. And those who are being physically abused say that the psychological abuse causes the most damage. And in hearing each others stories and sharing their struggles they grow.

So relevant for our women - you are beautiful!

No surprises that Dr Natalie Thorndon says all the same things we have been saying for years, and says it so eloquently. It is long past time that we stopped blaming the victim for what she did or didn't do, and put the blame squarely where it belongs - on the perpetrator. Victims do the best job they can do to keep themselves and their children safe given their circumstances.

Leaving family violence isn’t about ‘making good choices’, it's about having good options OPINION: Let’s not dishonour victims further in death by criticising what choices they had to make while alive.

Thank you Foundation North for your invaluable support of our work towards safety and wellbeing for wahine in our community :)

It's International Women's Day and we are proud to support some amazing organisations who work to improve and enrich the lives of women and girls in our region... and beyond. To name a few: Inner City Women's Group, Auckland Women's Centre, Hestia Rodney Women's Refuge, NUKU., PADA - Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Aotearoa, Wot Matters, YWCA Aotearoa, Iranian Women In NZ, Kia Haumaru - Personal Safety Education and so many more ✨❤️ Here's to strong women: may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them 💪🙏

Congratulations to Ang Jury from Women's Refuge for being honoured in the New Years List. So great to see someone from the domestic violence sector being so honoured. Well deserved.

Women’s Refuge are thrilled to learn of the honour awarded to our Chief Executive, Dr Ang Jury in the New Year’s Honours’ List.

Ang has led the national body with distinction over the past six years, and done so with mana, respect, dignity and aroha. Ang’s contribution to services for women and whānau who have experienced Family Violence in Aotearoa is immeasurable and has spread over decades. Her humility is such that she won’t enjoy the attention paid to her achievements today but we can’t allow this moment to pass without acknowledging her leadership within Refuge and also broader civil society.

Ang has contributed significantly to the wider NGO sector, building new partnerships as well as repairing others.

We celebrate this fitting acknowledgement with Ang and her whānau and are proud to count ourselves as friends as well as colleagues.

Kia ora

Inner City Women's Group is now closed for the holidays. We will re-open on January 10th.

If you are unsafe please dial 111.

If you need crisis support over the holidays, please call the Shine helpline on 0508 744 633.

Meri Kirihimete from ICWG.

Appalling! Until the courts treat death by strangulation with the gravity it deserves it will keep happening! And this was not a first offence, there had been previous offences. A death waiting to happen.

https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/he-s-just-got-a-slap-on-the-wrist-wh%C4%81nau-of-woman-killed-by-husband-distraught-he-could-be-released-next-year/ar-AARg7VI?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531

'He's just got a slap on the wrist': Whānau of woman killed by husband distraught he could be released next year Shirley Reedy's husband, Rodney Fallowfield, could be out of prison on parole next year having served half of his sentence.

Fabulous new initiative for women leaving abusive relationships - breaking down another barrier to leaving!

Since opening in July, we've provided 1,632 nights of safety to 38 pets affected by domestic violence from Auckland, Waikato, Wellington and Christchurch. 15 of these pets have now been safely reunited with their families to start a new chapter.

"The best part is seeing the animals reunited with their owners. Words can’t describe the special moment when an owner sees their pet and the pet realises they're going home. It's sheer joy." - Nikki Marchant-Ludlow, Programme Manager.

Join us by giving a pet a safe bed for $25 a month, and help even more pets and their families escape abuse and find safety together. Donate at https://bit.ly/3mug9iE

Please spread the word :)

Pet Refuge - a fabulous service now open for women needing to leave domestic violence situations. Awesome work, and a much needed service.

We are working remotely with our clients during COVID Level 4 and level 3 restrictions, with all services being delivered either online or by phone.

Please contact by phone or email to enrol into one of our programmes or visit our website to refer your clients.

This is certainly a trend that we have seen at Inner City Women's Group - many women just give up trying to access help from the police. And if women stop calling the police when they are are most at risk, who is going to keep them and their children safe?https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/300397629/more-victims-are-reporting-family-violence-but-abusers-arent-facing-court-noone-knows-why?fbclid=IwAR2xjyalM-KuIooO9XAxDk5pmKAYAN7qILo1aEdsZf0sYiirdMnccA09gJA

More victims are reporting family violence, but abusers aren't facing court. No-one knows why In the last decade, while family violence call-outs have increased, prosecution rates have dropped and dropped.

Makes total sense to me!
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newshub.co.nz%2Fhome%2Fworld%2F2021%2F06%2Fsmacking-makes-children-misbehave-not-behave-study.html&h=AT2eoZCR7QGCNK9KmLey13kW23yjvqc1LpFz89QpFTem_AIWt5CUtakBJuh4j8ebJop3Xk6dHDMENTF4CNQ7IwJEqqOGhfBxJSQweUErjKgG5NCYsrFDL4Qs4byHdBlaJ_vLIs9gLWrYxFxwBlbj&s=1

Smacking makes children misbehave, not behave - study Yet most countries around the world still allow it.

Sad outcome to a tragic story - and testimony to why so many women stay, as often their risk increases when they leave. Such a waste, our thoughts are with her family.

Bridget Simmonds ex-partner found guilty of her murder The victim's family and friends held back tears in the public gallery as the unanimous verdict was read on Friday afternoon.

https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/archaic-law-that-forces-victims-to-stay-married-to-abusive-partners-questioned/ar-BB1fYB0G?ocid=msedgdhp

Common themes for us to hear from our clients ...

'She was failed': Experts call for investigation into case of 'Mrs P' Jacinda Ardern urged to lead change after miscarriage of justice against domestic violence victim exposes "unsafe" Family Court.

“Over a long period of time he threatened her and made irrational comments about affairs that she had been having.” Abusive men commonly accuse their victims of having affairs that they are not even having. It's just another strategy of abuse. Appalling behaviour on all counts!

Man admits trying to kill his pregnant partner's unborn baby Halen Neale Ryder told his partner he wanted the baby she was carrying dead as he punched her repeatedly in the stomach it can be revealed.

An excellent read on Parental Alienation and how it is used to the detriment of victims of domestic violence

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/124592890/they-cant-win-how-an-old-idea-about-women-puts-children-in-danger?fbclid=IwAR2Cf94k3ON7KM9tsk3dX5CDGvr4CCr6rnWA-Ez2HFY9wO6cXVnlMFetQLk

'They can't win': How an old idea about women puts children in danger Experts fear the widespread belief that women lie about violence is suppressing abuse claims in the Family Court.

This will be a much needed service to support women who experience domestic violence. So many won't leave because they can't take their pets with them. I know I would never leave my fur babies behind! Can't wait until this opens!

When the Pet Refuge shelter opens later this year it will be a temporary safe haven for all beloved pets of domestic violence victims, enabling them to find safety. Research shows that dogs are the most abused pet, followed by cats, cows and horses.*

The shelter will have:
🐾 dog enclosures to protect up to 20 dogs;
🐾 a cat wing to make 35 cats feel safe;
🐾 a small animal room to safeguard 15 rabbits, guinea pigs, fish, or other small animals;
🐾 and an aviary to shelter 15 birds.

And it doesn't stop with household pets. Thanks to the help of farm owners around the country, the Pet Refuge Safe Farms network will care for larger animals, such as horses, cows, goats, sheep, and pigs. 🐎🐑🐖🐄

We believe in a future where having any pet, whether it be a mouse or an alpaca, will never be a barrier to escaping violence.

Donate today: www.petrefuge.org.nz

Thank you for your wonderful support@ Foundation North

Let's 'choose to challenge' for those women who can't OPINION: On International Women's Day, we should remember those not privileged enough to stand up for their rights.

A story we hear all too frequently - sad that some of it happened here in NZ. I wish she had been able to reach out for support while she was visiting her. Domestic violence is no respecter of celebrity status

'He could kill me': Christina Ricci describes 'hiding knives' from husband on holiday in NZ, files restraining order "I feared for my life and the life of our son."