Demand for Jewish Women’s Aid services remained constant throughout 2021.

Core services were provided for Jewish women and girls across Jewish communities despite the national lockdown. The organisation is continuing its mission to generate a more open discussion about abuse and build a culture that is supportive of and safe for women. 

Domestic abuse and therapeutic support teams supported 546 women and girls throughout the year.

In September, JWA worked with 175 women, higher than any month. The professional staff team offered a range of services including counselling, children’s therapy, safety planning, risk reduction, emotional support, legal options, benefits and financial advice. 

JWA’s Helpline and Web Chat services were utlilised whilst a team of qualified counsellors provided 2,890 counselling sessions to 126 women and girls to help empower them to make decisions. 

Therapists delivered 392 one-to-one sessions to 31 children in mainly video sessions with some in-person meetings starting towards the end of 2021.

JWA supported 57 women and girls aged 14-30, many of whom were helped by the Specialist Young Women’s Advocate and specialist counsellor. This is an area of growth for JWA.

The organisations McKenzie Friend programme accompanied 14 women to court for moral and practical support. The domestic abuse support team also helped women secure nine legal orders. 

JWA created a Community Toolkit with educational resources freely available on its website. This formed part of JWA’s awareness raising Shabbat across dozens of communities in November. 

JWA’s education team provided prevention education sessions to promote healthy relationships and help build a culture of consent. 

Facilitators attended Jewish schools in London and Manchester in 132 age-appropriate workshops and assemblies, 521 university students and young professionals benefitted from 15 tailored sessions and JWA delivered 32 talks and training in synagogues and Jewish settings.