Erin Pizzey started the world’s first domestic violence shelter in the UK in 1971. Originally called the Chiswick Women’s Aid, you can still find this organisation operating under the name Refuge. In 2021 Refuge celebrated its 50th anniversary. Many well known figures, including politicians and royals, were present. Unfortunately Erin wasn’t present. This wasn’t an oversight. Refuge had deliberately excluded its founder from the celebration.
After starting Chiswick Women’s Aid Erin began interviewing women and she soon realised that a high proportion of domestic and intimate partner violence was reciprocal in nature. Both partners were perpetrators and victims. Their violence fed off each other. Later research would confirm this but at the time it was a revolutionary idea.
She started to try to help men too, and that’s when the feminists pushed Erin out. She was threatened and intimidated. Today there is one small reference to Erin on Refuge’s website but that’s it.
Continuing her work to support men, Erin has had an association with A Voice for Men since 2013.
Three years on from the 2021 celebration and things have changed. Erin has been appointed as a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) “for services to the victims of domestic abuse“. This is a big deal as the CBE is a step up from the better-known Officer of the British Empire (OBE). The British honours system requires that there be no more than 8,960 living CBEs at any given time.
This is an amazing achievement for Erin and demonstrates national recognition of her work on domestic and intimate partner violence, including violence against men. This award, along with the appointment of Bettina Arndt as a Member of the Order of Australia in 2020, are further signs that times are changing.
Congratulations Erin. The award is well deserved.
