Definitions
Shelters
“Shelters” include all of the services that women’s shelters, refuges, safe homes, and anti-violence centers provide. This definition is consistent with the Global Network of Women’s Shelters’ definition. We recognize that in some places, programs or community centers provide services and resources for victims but may not have a physical shelter building or may not offer shelter services.
Violence Against Women
We define “Violence Against Women” in the same way as the United Nations:
Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life. Violence against women shall be understood to encompass, but not be limited to, the following: (a) Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, including battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household, dowry-related violence, marital rape, female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women, non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation; (b) Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring within the general community, including rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in women and forced prostitution; (c) Physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by the State, wherever it occurs.
We recognize that many shelters provide services to people of all genders who are victims of physical, sexual and psychological violence, and we intend to address the full range of survivors and communities.
