It's very honest about the need for Women's Space. Please support her by telling me on twitter and I'm sure she will see. If anyone else would like to cross post just ask.
I applaud her bravery. Much love sister x
Why female only spaces are so important for the victims of male
violence.
When I was 13 my dad knocked me unconscious. The following morning
myself, my mum and my brother sneaked out the house to a local women’s
refuge. From there we were moved to
refuge in another part of the country.
I’ll always be grateful for the care we were given there. My mum was offered counselling and support,
and I remember piling onto the minibus with the other children going to the
cinema, ice skating, swimming. It
helped.
The rules on who could work at the refuge were strict. Most of the women who worked there were
lesbians. Straight women could work
there, but not if they were in a heterosexual relationship. The doctor who came out to us was a
woman. Even boys over the age of 13
could not be admitted into the refuge.
I was actually quite horrified by the idea, that had my brother been a
few years older, we would have had to leave him behind, or we’d have all stayed
(we’d have all stayed –there is no way my mum would have left one of us). That is until I looked back.
A few years later, my brother did hit puberty. I had in the meantime experienced more
violence –including being drugged by my father who was sent to prison for
sexual assault.
I found it incredibly difficult to cope with my brother becoming a
man.
I became violent towards him. I
would scream at him of how he reminded me of my dad.
I put him through hell.
My brother would never, ever, ever hurt me.
I understand now why my brother would not have been allowed into the
refuge had he been older. Because of the
trauma of male violence, women need safe spaces –they need female safe spaces.
Like many women and girls, I know this first hand.
I also know that he didn’t deserve the shit I put him through. Imagine if he’d have been in a house full of
traumatised women and girls? All scared
of him? Imagine the damage that would
have done to everyone involved.
