Women across North Lanarkshire have rallied in a demonstration against a council decision to "defund" Women’s Aid in the region.
Campaigners gathered at at the Civic Centre in Motherwell yesterday afternoon as elected members took part in a council meeting.
Women who were unable to attend sent around 300 handbags in solidarity with the protest, representing all of the survivors who left abusive partners with only their handbag to their name.
"We’re not natural protesters – it's not something we would normally do. We just feel we don't have an alternative," Margaret Lynch of Support North Lanarkshire Women's Aid said.
The founder of the pressure group is spearheading the campaign against the council's decision to withdraw funding for their services. In February, the authority awarded its new £1.4m contract to Sacro, on the basis that it is better value for money and will better help male victims of domestic violence.
Refuge will continue to be delivered by the Women's Aid groups.
Margaret said: “We’ve been providing women’s only domestic violence services in our community for over 40 years. We were founded, developed and delivered by people who have come through this experience.
"It’s not just about a refuge space, it’s about getting access to benefits or work, and how you rebuild the shattered psyche of a woman who has lived with trauma very often for years.
“Sacro are a good organisation, we’re not saying any different, but this is not their experience; theirs is working with offenders. Women are still continuing to turn up at Women’s Aid – and the numbers are escalating. We are trying desperately to support them with reduced resources.
"Vulnerable women need specialist women-only services with an understanding of what happens to survivors when they are experiencing domestic violence and how best to support them to move beyond that experience."
Councillors said they were unable to “influence or interfere” with the tender outcome but that they want to ensure the local experts are “integrated into the new approach to service provision”.
A spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council said: “It is simply untrue for Women’s Aid to suggest that the council has made a decision that has left vulnerable women without the support they need.
“For the avoidance of any doubt, the council has not withdrawn any grant funding from Women’s Aid. A tender was issued in accordance with procurement regulations for these services and Women’s Aid chose to bid for that contract on a commercial basis and were not successful.
"Aura provide a range of domestic abuse support services across North Lanarkshire and we will continue to work with local women’s aid groups for other services such as refuge provision.”
But Margaret hit back at the accusations, saying £350,000 - which paid for 12 workers at the charity - has been withdrawn and that there was no need to go through the procurement process in the first place.
"The NLC say we are telling lies when we said they had removed funding, but the bald fact is they did. They took that £350,000 and gave it to another organisation against the advice of COSLA and Scottish Women's Aid.
"It was pointed it out to them that there was no requirement for them to go through the procurement process, they could have funded us directly because we are providing specialist services to vulnerable women.
"What this is about, ultimately, is that women need us; we are a trusted organisation. It could be your daughter, best friend, next door neighbour or even your mother needing our help. It's in the background and it's not something most of us will need to use, but we need to know this is there. We won't stop fighting."
