Men, women, and children converged on Exeter Cathedral Green one Sunday last March for a peaceful protest picnic to oppose the closure of Exeter Women’s Refuge. Despite the glorious sunshine providing a glimpse of the summer to come and the bubbling conversation, there were mixed emotions among the crowd.

We were there to protest the closure of Exeter Women’s Refuge which, in ten years of operation, had offered safe accommodation and support to 916 women and 943 children and young people escaping domestic abuse.

Despite the obvious need for this service, on Monday, 31 March 2014, Exeter Women’s Refuge closed its doors – the protest had failed. As a result of local council budget cuts, Exeter joins a long list of places that have opted for more generic services that promise to be ‘more efficient’ – read ‘cheaper’ – and that cost the lives of women and girls.

[…] Violence against women and girls is widespread in the UK. In the UK two women on average are killed by a partner or ex-partner every week. In England and Wales at least 233 women and girls are raped every day and 31 per cent of women have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16. That’s why we’re campaigning for the government to keep its promise to help end violence against women doing just that.

Read more of Josh Evans and Robyn Boosey’s blog on the ICchange campaign via Rhythms here.

Josh Evans is a physicist and an activist with a keen interest in the future of energy production. He is currently working in youth engagement at the international development and relief organisation Tearfund.

@Joshpaulevans

Robyn Boosey is a co-founder of the ICchange campaign. Robyn is passionate about advocating for human rights, gender equality, and ending violence against women and girls. She also loves French and Spanish grammar a bit too much.

@_RobynB