Latin American Women’s Aid (LAWA)
Overview
Latin American Women’s Aid runs the only refugees in Europe and in the UK by and for Latin American women and children fleeing gender-based violence. We also offer holistic and intersectional services, providing everything a Black and Minoritised woman needs to recover from abuse and live empowered lives.
We welcome women of all abilities, from any cultural context, ethnicity, social class, religion, and sexuality. We are proud to be bisexual, lesbian, queer, and trans women inclusive.
- Advice and support
Our advice and support centre offers information, advocacy and support to Latin American and BME women, in particular, but not limited to survivors of gender-based violence. Through one-to-one appointments, drop-in days, telephone advice, in-house surgeries and outreach points we offer advice and support in a wide range of areas. This includes domestic violence and other gendered forms of violence; immigration and family law; welfare benefits advice; housing and emergency accommodation; child support; career and employment advice; skills development and community integration.
To access this service, you can call and book an appointment online
- Counselling
Domestic violence is a very traumatic experience that can leave us with emotional scars, confused feelings, fears, memories, and damaged self-esteem. Having a space to talk about that experience with a professional counsellor can be healing.
LAWA’s in-house counselling service provides psychotherapy support in Portuguese, Spanish and English. We adopt a culturally sensitive, trauma-focused approach that supports women to recover their mental and emotional health and general well-being. Ultimately, our counselling aims to empower women to recover their self-confidence and take control of their own lives. Counselling sessions are free and individual. They provide a safe, confidential, non-judgmental environment for you to express and reflect on your problems, the suffering that violence has left in your life and those around you. To access this service, please contact us through our advice and support centre.
- English lessons
In partnership with English for Action, LAWA offers English as a Second Language (ESOL) classes to Latin American and BME women, helping them to overcome the such barriers to inclusion. Every Wednesday and Thursday we offer English lessons from 5:00pm-7:00pm – at beginner, elementary and intermediate levels. All you have to do is come on either of those two days and sign up with the English teacher, who will evaluate the level that best suits your needs.
We also run a crèche service during English classes to enable mothers to attend classes. Both services are completely free of charge.
- Benefits and non Domestic Violence support – Drop-in service
If you need support with any issue NOT related to Domestic Violence, please use the online chat or call us to help you book an appointment. We run this service only on Tuesdays from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm and have a weekly capacity of 15 appointments. You can choose between an online or face-to-face appointment.
At LAWA, we offer support with issues related to employment, housing, education, and benefits.
- WAHA Initiative
Women against Homelessness and Abuse (WAHA) is an initiative for Black and Minority Ethnic women jointly run by the Latin American Women’s Aid and London Black Women’s Project under the OYA consortium of BME refuges.
WAHA aims to address Black and monitory ethnic women’s intersecting pressures of poverty, homelessness and gender violence through promoting changes in housing policy and practice in the UK using a rights-based approach. It is a policy but also a frontline project advising, representing and supporting survivors to make appeals and secure safe and appropriate accommodation, in an environment free from violence and intimidation.
- Change Maker Programme
Our Change Maker Programme is an intersectional and intergenerational feminist space for Latin Americans and BME women to meet, learn and grow together. The project has been designed to address themes such as gender inequalities and intersectionality; violence against women and girls; sisterhood and self-care; ecofeminism; migration, diaspora and racial identities; sexual diversity; spirituality and resilience; and migrant women’s involvement in community struggles.
- Children and Young People services
We offer specialized services for BME children and young people at the refuge. Our Children and family support worker runs weekly activities to encourage their recovery and the reestablishment of the relationship with their mothers after living or witnessing traumatic violent experiences.
We also provide specialized counselling services for children in their own language.
Overview
Latin American Women’s Aid runs the only refugees in Europe and in the UK by and for Latin American women and children fleeing gender-based violence. We also offer holistic and intersectional services, providing everything a Black and Minoritised woman needs to recover from abuse and live empowered lives.
We welcome women of all abilities, from any cultural context, ethnicity, social class, religion, and sexuality. We are proud to be bisexual, lesbian, queer, and trans women inclusive.
- Advice and support
Our advice and support centre offers information, advocacy and support to Latin American and BME women, in particular, but not limited to survivors of gender-based violence. Through one-to-one appointments, drop-in days, telephone advice, in-house surgeries and outreach points we offer advice and support in a wide range of areas. This includes domestic violence and other gendered forms of violence; immigration and family law; welfare benefits advice; housing and emergency accommodation; child support; career and employment advice; skills development and community integration.
To access this service, you can call and book an appointment online
- Counselling
Domestic violence is a very traumatic experience that can leave us with emotional scars, confused feelings, fears, memories, and damaged self-esteem. Having a space to talk about that experience with a professional counsellor can be healing.
LAWA’s in-house counselling service provides psychotherapy support in Portuguese, Spanish and English. We adopt a culturally sensitive, trauma-focused approach that supports women to recover their mental and emotional health and general well-being. Ultimately, our counselling aims to empower women to recover their self-confidence and take control of their own lives. Counselling sessions are free and individual. They provide a safe, confidential, non-judgmental environment for you to express and reflect on your problems, the suffering that violence has left in your life and those around you. To access this service, please contact us through our advice and support centre.
- English lessons
In partnership with English for Action, LAWA offers English as a Second Language (ESOL) classes to Latin American and BME women, helping them to overcome the such barriers to inclusion. Every Wednesday and Thursday we offer English lessons from 5:00pm-7:00pm – at beginner, elementary and intermediate levels. All you have to do is come on either of those two days and sign up with the English teacher, who will evaluate the level that best suits your needs.
We also run a crèche service during English classes to enable mothers to attend classes. Both services are completely free of charge.
- Benefits and non Domestic Violence support – Drop-in service
If you need support with any issue NOT related to Domestic Violence, please use the online chat or call us to help you book an appointment. We run this service only on Tuesdays from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm and have a weekly capacity of 15 appointments. You can choose between an online or face-to-face appointment.
At LAWA, we offer support with issues related to employment, housing, education, and benefits.
- WAHA Initiative
Women against Homelessness and Abuse (WAHA) is an initiative for Black and Minority Ethnic women jointly run by the Latin American Women’s Aid and London Black Women’s Project under the OYA consortium of BME refuges.
WAHA aims to address Black and monitory ethnic women’s intersecting pressures of poverty, homelessness and gender violence through promoting changes in housing policy and practice in the UK using a rights-based approach. It is a policy but also a frontline project advising, representing and supporting survivors to make appeals and secure safe and appropriate accommodation, in an environment free from violence and intimidation.
- Change Maker Programme
Our Change Maker Programme is an intersectional and intergenerational feminist space for Latin Americans and BME women to meet, learn and grow together. The project has been designed to address themes such as gender inequalities and intersectionality; violence against women and girls; sisterhood and self-care; ecofeminism; migration, diaspora and racial identities; sexual diversity; spirituality and resilience; and migrant women’s involvement in community struggles.
- Children and Young People services
We offer specialized services for BME children and young people at the refuge. Our Children and family support worker runs weekly activities to encourage their recovery and the reestablishment of the relationship with their mothers after living or witnessing traumatic violent experiences.
We also provide specialized counselling services for children in their own language.
Contact Details
Phone:
020 727 50321
Email:
[email protected] or [email protected]
Website:
https://lawadv.org.uk/
Address:
Office: 18 Ashwin Street, The Print House, in the Borough of Hackney.
Other Info
Opening times:
9:30am to 5:30pm
Costs:
Disabled Access:
Directions:
The nearest stations are Dalston Junction and Dalston Kingsland – London Overground (orange line)
Other information:
Registered Charity No 299975
Last updated:
12th February 2023
Working in partnership with:
