We are calling for a National Women’s Fund to finance women’s organisations providing life-saving support to women and girls across the UK.

The women’s sector is made up of rape crisis centres, domestic violence refuges, women’s homelessness and addiction centres, places where women from all walks of life can access trauma-informed counselling, advice and holistic services. Demand is huge and rising. But women’s organisations get less than 2% of all charitable funding. The women’s sector is facing a chronic and crippling underfunding crisis which risks closures of far too many organisations.

We need secure, long-term funding now more than ever.  

• 63% of women’s organisations are facing critical cuts to budgets and services/staff in the next 12 months.  
• 1/3 of women’s organisations surveyed told us they have had to close a service in the past 18 months.
• 27% of women’s organisations will definitely have to close a service in the next 12 months.
• Almost half of the respondents (47%) said they have lost staff in the last 18 months.
• If things continue as they are, 64% of organisations will be operating with a reduced/severely reduced service. 17% will be closed or face closure.

The deeply concerning results above from a 2024 funding poll demonstrate the urgency of this issue and the need for a National Women’s Fund.  

Historically, women’s community and grassroots organisations were a vital infrastructure to support women through times of crisis (be it COVID-19, the cost-of-living-crisis or interpersonal abuse and violence) and continue to do so. They face a funding cliff-edge in April 2025. Mass closures will set back women’s equality by decades.  
 
A world without violence against women is possible. A world where women’s safety and full self-expression can be realised is possible. Let’s act together to make our voices heard.  

Read our campaign demands here!

Please sign this petition that demands a National Women’s Fund. Thank you for your support.