Category: VAWG

The Women Who Paved the Way for Domestic Abuse Advocacy

March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the achievements of women throughout history. At EdShift CIC, we recognize the vital role that women have played in advocating for survivors of domestic abuse and ensuring that children impacted by domestic violence receive the support they need. For too long, domestic abuse was a hidden […]

Penny Moe: A Survivor’s Story – My Art is My Voice

My name is Penny, and my life has been shaped by the suffocating weight of silence and the liberating power of creation. I grew up in Myanmar, a country of breathtaking culture and beauty, but also one deeply scarred by conflict and systemic oppression. These dualities—beauty and pain, resilience and suffering—have followed me, defining both […]

A Survivor’s Poem: Keys to a lock, I remember everything.

Survivor stories take many forms—sometimes they are spoken, sometimes written, and sometimes they are expressed through poetry. The following poem, submitted anonymously, powerfully captures the complex emotions of surviving abuse and the lasting impact of being unheard.   Keys to a Lock I lived with my mother, my sister, and my stepfather I told her […]

Holly Newton: A Life Lost to Control

In the wake of Holly Newton’s tragic murder, there are vital conversations that need to be had—not just about the violence itself, but about the deeper societal issues at play. Holly’s death has brought coercive control into the spotlight, exposing how this insidious form of abuse can manifest in the lives of young people. As […]

Ann Brown: A Survivor’s Story – Reclaiming Lost Years

Born in 1964, in a village near Wolverhampton, I am a survivor of domestic abuse and violence. My innate personality is lively and outgoing, and that’s how I was as a child. But back in the sixties and early seventies, I was was seen as “bossy” and a “show-off” because that’s not how little girls […]

Frances Day: A Survivor’s Story – Worlds Apart from Where I Am Today

I was born in Halifax, my mum was 16 and my dad was 19 – so they were only babies themselves. They were hard working, from a working class background and they bought their first home for £50. Can you believe it?   At that time, my dad was an engineer and we emigrated to […]