"When the Bow Breaks": Report on the position of women as 'volunteers', International Women's Day, Cardiff, 1982

Description

A Welsh Women's Aid report discussing women's roles as volunteers. It highlights that women are already predominantly "unpaid" carers as mothers, wives and daughters. Women often act as carers of elderly, or family members in need. They take on these additional roles as well as traditional women's roles. Due to the recession in the mid 80's, there was an increased burden for these women. However, it states that without the voluntary unpaid actions of these women the Women's Aid refuges wouldn't exist. It highlights the financial hardships these volunteers faced and the struggles Women's Aid had in funding to be able to provide the services it does. The report applauds its "exhausted [women] volunteers" and seems to criticise the government for not providing more social services and relying so heavily on the unpaid women volunteers.

Welsh Women’s Aid (WWA) was founded in 1978 to campaign and lobby for improvements in public policy and government legislation in relation to women and children experiencing domestic abuse in Wales. WWA is the national umbrella organisation representing local Women's Aid Groups situated throughout Wales. The member groups provide direct services for women and children who have experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse. Source: https://www.cardiffwomensaid.org.uk/

Ref: Glamorgan Archives, DWAW6/3