New Zealand's First Refuge 40 Years of Service Steps in the Journey
New Zealand's First Refuge
Aviva evolved from what was originally Christchurch Women's Refuge - New Zealand's first family violence Safe House, established in 1973.
It was then that a group of Christchurch women took inspiration from changes taking place in the United Kingdom, and decided that to really help advance the cause of New Zealand women, they needed to create a safe place for the women and their children who were living in fear in their homes here in Canterbury.
Despite hostility and even open aggression, their courage and commitment saw the first women’s refuge in New Zealand - the third in the western world – established here in Christchurch. Listen to Diane Shannon and Rosemary Howard - two of our founders - share their story.
Since 1973 there have been many changes - legal, social and societal. Christchurch Women's Refuge was part of many of those changes, by lobbying for amendments to statutes, implementing community based services for women, raising community awareness and addressing the effects of family violence on children. Hear and watch more about our history and evolution.
Celebrating 40 Years of Service in 2013
Aviva is proud to hold the history as the first refuge to be established in New Zealand (1973). We helped establish what is now known nationally as the ‘Women’s Refuge’ network in 1981 and have helped make the concept of ‘Refuge’ strongly associated with safety for women and children. As part of our 40th anniversary celebrations in 2013, CWR announced its transformation to Aviva, to better represent all the people we support - children, young people, women and men - and all the many services we offer beyond refuge. Our change of identity reflected our belief that family violence solutions must acknowledge, incorporate and support all members of a family to overcome violence and achieve their potential. Hear and watch more about our rebrand story.
1973 – Christchurch Women’s Refuge (CWR) established - New Zealand's first refuge
1975-78 - Other refuges open throughout the country
1977 - Human Rights Act outlaws discrimination on a number of grounds, including sex and marital status
1980 - Family Proceedings Act requires that a Family Court judge cannot dissolve marriages until satisfied that custody, maintenance, and welfare arrangements for any children are the best possible.
1981 - CWR and 10 other refuges form the National Collective of Independent Women's Refuges - now known as 'Women's Refuge'.
1980 - CWR Community Services founded
1982 - The Domestic Protection Act 1982 introduces non-violence orders that give police powers of arrest without laying formal criminal charges.
1984 - Ministry of Women’s Affairs established to improve the status of women and to work towards the achievement of social, political, and economic equality.
1984 – CWR helps form Canterbury Abuse Intervention Project (CAIP), the first network of statutory community agencies supporting a combined voice against family violence.
1984 - Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) – the 1981 United Nations initiative to affirm principles of fundamental human rights and equality for women around the world is ratified by New Zealand
1985 - Section 28(3) of the Crimes Act (1961) removed, finally making it illegal for a husband to rape his wife.
1985 - Parallel Development implemented, a model which allowed Maori services and refuges to develop in tandem with those for other cultures.
1987 - The first Maori Women's Refuge was established in Hamilton.
1989 - The first Tangata Pasifika Women's Refuge is established in Auckland.
1989 - Children and Family Act introduced the Family Group Conference as a means of making decisions about a child or young person and made “best interests of the child” the first consideration in removing a child from a parent’s care. The Act also provided for a Commissioner for Children.
1995 - Domestic Violence Act 1995. Significant changes were the recognition of psychological abuse (including causing or allowing a child to see or hear violence) as a form of family violence; introduction of Protection Orders that remained valid whether the woman left the violent person or not; increasing the range of applicants who could apply for a Protection Order e.g. flat mates, lesbian and gay couples, extended whanau/family members; and introduction of compulsory programme attendance for the violent person, and optional programmes for protected persons (including the children).
1995 - CWR and Police partnership established; CWR undertakes domestic violence training for Police.
1996 - CWR moves from ‘collective’ to ‘management and governance’ structure
1997 - Shakti Asian Women's Refuge established inAuckland
1998 - CWR Children Services established
2002 - Te Rito - New Zealand Family Violence Prevention Strategy established
2003 – CWR establishes full-time office in Rangiora, North Canterbury
2004 - Care of Children Act – emphasizes maintaining family links after adult relationship breakdown and appoints a lawyer to act for the child in parental disputes. ‘The best interests of the child’ are paramount. However, in practice there can be a conflict between ‘best interest’ in regard to maintaining relationships with both parents, and children’s safety.
2005 - CWR partners with Accident Compensation Corporation to pilot the first specialist programme for Child Witnesses of family violence
2005 - CWR partners with Police and Maori services to develop the Christchurch Safety Team, a response to families at highest risk
2007 - CWR launches Igniting Change, the Canterbury response to the national It's Not Ok campaign
2008 - Repeal of Section 59 of the Crimes Act, removing 'reasonable force' as a justification for child abuse
2009 – CWR adopts family support model
2009 - CWR joins the Jigsaw network
2009 - CWR awarded Medium/Large Enterprise Winner of the charity section of the Champion Canterbury Business Awards
2010 – Police Safety Orders introduced. A five-day order issued on the spot by police officers who have safety concerns for a person, but lack sufficient evidence to charge an offender with a violent offence.
2010 - CWR withdraws it's membership of the National Collective of Independent Women's Refuges
2010 - 2011 - a series of devastating earthquakes occur throughout Christchurch and mid-Canterbury, killing 185 people and destroying the city and it's physical and social infrastucture
2011 - CWR announces a new strategy that includes working with men who perpetrate family violence, and which is based on a belief that overcoming family vioelnce is possible for everyone, with the right support
2012 - With support from North Canterbury Police, CWR launches ReachOut, a new and unique service which proactivley offers support to men named on Police Incident Reports
2012 - CWR completes research into peer support, and develops New Zealand's first Specialist Peer Support service linking women and men who have overcome family violence with those still on their own journey. Hear and watch April and Brian share their personal journies.
2012 - CWR offers the Shine [email protected] home security service in Canterbury to families at highest risk of repeat family violence
2013 - CWR extends ReachOut into Christchurch as a self-referral service
2013 - CWR becomes part of a Christchurch city project to support men named on Police Safety Orders
2013 - CWR celebrates 40 years of service and launches a new brand - Aviva
2013 - In partnership with Good Shepherd NZ and Kiwibank, Aviva launches No Interest Loans to those families living with violence and on low incomes
2013 - Aviva and alliance partners begin a scoping project to identify a way to co-locate their agencies within two years
2014 - Aviva begins management of the Sexual Assault Support Service Canterbury (SASSC; previously Safecare), in partnership with START
2014 - Aviva signs a Memorandum of Understanding with Christchurch Police which enables ReachOut to proactivley contact men named on Police Reports fo violence
2014 - Aviva wins the Medium - Large charity award section of the Champion Canterbury Business Awards, and is one of only three agencies to be highlighted by the independent Glenn Inquiry into family violence as an example of innovation and responsiveness to community.
2014 - We ceased operating a Safe House, putting limited resources instead into making people [email protected]
2015 - Our Healthy Relationships programme is piloted in intermediate and secondary schools in Christchurch
2016 - Aviva ReachOut wins the Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Award for reducing repeat offending; the Supreme National POP Award; and is runner-up for the international Hermann Goldstein Award.
2016 - The Loft in Eastgate Shopping Centre opens, bringing a wide range of services together with the express purpose of making it easier for people to get the support they need
2016 - Aviva begins offering low-interest Step-Up loans, in partnership with Good Shepherd NZ and BNZ
2017 - Avia wins the Medium - Large Community Impact Award of the Champion Canterbury Business Awards
2018 - SASSC is extended to Selwyn District
