In September 1985, a small group of black women applied, with the help and support of Edinburgh and Lothian Women’s Aid, to the (then) Edinburgh District Council for funding to set up a separate refuge for black and minority ethnic women.
Shakti Women’s Aid opened in 1986 to provide a service for Black Minority Ethnic (BME) women and their children, fleeing from domestic abuse.
In April 1986, the Edinburgh District Council Housing Department, under the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 - now consolidated within Part II of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 - approved funding for office premises and two part-time workers and by September 1986, the workers were in post.
Specialist Refuge Accommodation
It was recognised early on that a separate refuge was needed to allow black/minority ethnic women overcome additional barriers such as:
Communication
Some black/minority ethnic women may need language support to enable them to talk freely especially when talking about their personal history. By having over 20 languages spoken by our staff as well as using interpreting services where necessary, women can express themselves in their own language; having their own space within the refuge also allows families to communicate in their own languages.
Religious and dietary practices
Some women have different religious and dietary requirements and preferences that are important in their lives. We recognise the need for women to have access to a safe space within a refuge for worship and spiritual practice. In addition to this some women also require separate cooking facilities to cater for Halal or vegetarian meals. It is important that the women have space to cook and eat whatever food they are accustomed to without having to explain or apologise for their beliefs.
Racism
Racism and discrimination is still a reality for many black/minority ethnic women living in Scotland, from individual racism from people on the street to structural racism such as immigration laws, and other discriminatory practices which may exist within mainstream service provision. Black/minority ethnic women experience these as additional barriers which other women escaping abusive situations do not encounter.
In June 1987, the first refuge for Black/minority ethnic women was opened. Edinburgh District Council agreed to rent Shakti a semi-detached house situated in a fairly quiet residential area.
Later, as a result of a successful bid through the Scottish Executive, Shakti was able to double its refuge space and provide a much more secure place for the women to live in.
Shakti opened its current refuge on 4th February 2004 which consists of four self-contained flats with a shared space for a children’s play room and an office. Shakti also has access to City of Edinburgh temporary accommodation.
Shakti
The word ‘Shakti’ is derived from Sanskrit and can be translated as ‘strength’, particularly feminine strength: it was decided by founding members as particularly symbolic of the group's aims and objectives.
From Then to Now
Since 1985, the demand for Shakti’s service has increased considerably and has seen Shakti grow from a few workers to over 20 staff. This increase can hopefully be attributed in part to more women becoming aware of our services and of domestic abuse within their communities as well as the right not to endure forced marriage and honour-related crimes. There is also an increased confidence for black/minority ethnic women when it comes to accessing services.
There has also been a marked increase in contact from women who, due to discriminative immigration rules, have ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ (i.e. they have no access to benefits or social housing) and who can often be left stranded if they face a breakdown in their relationship due to domestic abuse.
Shakti’s staff team, under the guidance of our Board of Directors and project manager, consist of women’s keyworkers (main & outreach service), children’s workers (main & outreach service), admin and finance workers, refuge support and maintenance workers and an outreach & capacity building worker permanently based in Fife and the Information & Education Project.
Our diverse staff team come from a range of backgrounds and ethnicities; some of the languages spoken by the staff include Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Mandarin, Ibibio and Singhalese.
