As time went on: the movements on domestic violence and harmful practices grow

The movements on domestic violence and abuse expanded as time went on. This chapter brings the discussion of domestic violence services from the late 1980s to the 2020s. It discusses the challenges thrown up by the growth of domestic violence services as time went on and the evolution of accepted definitions. It debates, the development of specialist BMER services (including the Asian Women’s Resource Centre, Brent, and Southall Black Sisters) and services for abused women from other diverse communities. The chapter charts the development of Women’s Aid in the 2000s and of projects in the wider movement like Refuge, AVA, SafeLives and Justice for Women. It discusses the development of attention to harmful practices, like FGM, forced marriage and ‘honour’-based violence, and the struggles against them.