--- title: How your church can become a safer space for survivors of violence against women and girls date: 2025-10-29T10:29:00+00:00 author: Zanna Meynell canonical_url: "https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/how-your-church-can-become-a-safer-space-for-survivors-of-violence-against-women-and-girls" section: Articles --- Share [](https://www.facebook.com/dialog/share?app_id=1769260916495219&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Fhow-your-church-can-become-a-safer-space-for-survivors-of-violence-against-women-and-girls) [](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=How%20your%20church%20can%20become%20a%20safer%20space%20for%20survivors%20of%20violence%20against%20women%20and%20girls&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Fhow-your-church-can-become-a-safer-space-for-survivors-of-violence-against-women-and-girls) [](https://www.facebook.com/dialog/send?app_id=1769260916495219&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Fhow-your-church-can-become-a-safer-space-for-survivors-of-violence-against-women-and-girls&link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Fhow-your-church-can-become-a-safer-space-for-survivors-of-violence-against-women-and-girls&display=popup) [](mailto:?subject=Shared%20from%20Evangelical%20Alliance&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eauk.org%2Fnews-and-views%2Fhow-your-church-can-become-a-safer-space-for-survivors-of-violence-against-women-and-girls) #### I attended the 15th anniversary celebration of Restored, a Christian charity working towards a world where women live free from the fear of violence. It reinforced hard truths about the prevalence of domestic abuse in our churches and the importance of speaking out. Violence against women and girls (VAWG) encompasses stalking, rape, sexual assault, domestic abuse, sexual exploitation and harassment. While men can be victims of these crimes, the statistics show women are far more likely to be impacted. Just looking at our news feeds, we see the harrowing and ongoing complexities around the grooming gangs inquiry and the jarring frequency of scandals surrounding key public figures. However, VAWG can also impact women subtly, in ways that avoid the headlines. As a woman in my twenties, I don’t know many women without a negative experience in relation to VAWG. That is something to lament. As Christians, we cannot ignore this. Our God is a God of justice, and the Bible continually speaks into the sanctity of life and the inherent dignity of each individual as an image bearer of Christ. In a world where social media is becoming increasingly filled with misogynistic content, we must look to the example of Jesus and the way He loved women. Sponsored[](#) [ ![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ](https://www.oakhill.ac.uk/admissions/open-days) [Restored](https://www.restored-uk.org/), a member organisation of the Evangelical Alliance, works to support survivors of domestic abuse and is equipping the church to do so effectively. On Wednesday 22 October the charity celebrated 15 years since its launch. We heard from its founders, survivors, Bekah Legg the current CEO, and the domestic abuse commissioner Dame Nicole Jacobs about the work of the charity and the incredible impact it has had on women – and men – over the last 15 years. ![Restored2 founders and bekah](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ![Restored2 founders and bekah](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) Restored's founders and current CEO, Bekah Legg Here are three things that particularly struck me about the work of Restored and the fight to end VAWG: #### 1. This is a problem the church cannot ignore Restored conducted research into domestic abuse in church communities and found that 1 in 4 churchgoers who participated in the study had experienced domestic abuse. This shocking statistic is an incredibly important reminder that our churches are not immune to domestic abuse; women can be living in incredibly difficult, abusive situations without anyone knowing. We heard from survivors throughout the evening, and the complexity of sharing one’s domestic abuse experience with the church is difficult. Trustee of Restored Elisabeth Roberts shared her story with me and said: “I’m sure there were lots of people who would have been empathetic and supportive, but I wasn’t even willing to give them that chance because you feel a failure and shame, so I went through it very alone \[…\] I was so terrified that family, church, faith would force me back to my abuser.” It can be incredibly painful for a woman to disclose her experiences to her church community due to the stigma of divorce; many women live in silence and can end up having to leave their churches. This is why it is so important for churches to be safe places that can love survivors well. It is not simply about supporting women once they have shared their experience but proving that the church has the safeguarding and pastoral plans in place to support women well, so survivors feel able to speak up at all. We would encourage those in church leadership to check out [Restored Beacons](https://www.restored-uk.org/partner/churches/restored-beacons/) to learn how your church can become a safe place for women. #### 2. Restored's work is uniquely important The survivor’s network at Restored (which started with four women and is now the largest in the UK) brings together women with shared and lived experience of domestic abuse. It was incredible to hear from people who have benefitted from the network, resources, calls and retreats. The value of these things cannot be overstated. One woman said, ​“Finding Restored was the difference of me making it or not.” That is a testament to the power of community, listening and support in a safe and trusted environment. At the time of launching the organisation, one of the founders noticed that it was almost entirely secular, feminist organisations working to tackle VAWG. > What Restored is doing is absolutely fundamental. It goes way before what you can achieve in statutory, formal services. \[...\] Anything we do with an ambition to halve domestic abuse will have to start at the earliest point – that is why the work of Restored is so important. Many other faith communities are looking at what you’ve achieved. ![Restored7 1](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ![Restored7 1](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) **Dame Nicole Jacobs**Domestic abuse commissioner This endorsement shows just how powerful it can be when Christians get involved in these issues. Restored understand that engaging men is vital in conducting an effective response to VAWG. Their [First Man Standing](https://www.restored-uk.org/resource/first-man-standing-bible-studies/) resource helps men explore what the Bible has to say about masculinity and relationships – more than 1,000 men have taken the pledge to respect women and call out other men’s disrespectful actions. #### 3. The VAWG conversation is difficult; we must look to the Lord Sadly, we are far from the point at which an organisation such as Restored is no longer required. This is why it is important we look to the character of our Lord. He knows us inside out, even knowing the numbers of hairs on our heads. He cares deeply about injustice, sees every tear and hears every cry. As seen in Genesis 1, God made man and woman with equal value, and throughout the Bible we see just how much women are valued by Him. The story of Jesus and the woman at the well in John 4 exemplifies the Lord’s heart for women. In a society of systematic prejudice, He cherished and honoured her. This leaves us to ask, is the church doing so as well? Are we equipped to care for those who are feeling broken, ashamed, hurt and lost? I encourage you to check out the work of this important ministry and to think about how your church or community enables survivors to find healing and hope in our Saviour. As an advocacy team we will continue to engage with the government as they seek to halve VAWG in the next decade. We are awaiting their strategy for doing this and will record a [Cross Section](https://www.eauk.org/resources/our-resources/videos-and-podcasts/cross-section) special in response and provide a briefing. In the meantime, we would value your prayers as we seek to organise meetings between ministers, MPs and Restored’s team. We know the church can offer a holistic response and we want policymakers to see the incredible work of partner churches in tackling VAWG. --- [ ![Ending demand for prostitution – busting ten myths](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ![Artawkrn t Xnsbe Y0 To unsplash](https://eauk.org/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,quality=90,width=400,fit=cover/https://cdn.eauk.org/artawkrn-tXnsbe-Y0To-unsplash.jpg) ](https://www.eauk.org/resources/our-resources/ending-demand-for-prostitution-busting-ten-myths) [#### Ending demand for prostitution – busting ten myths ](https://www.eauk.org/resources/our-resources/ending-demand-for-prostitution-busting-ten-myths) A resource from Evangelical Alliance Scotland, CARE and Restore Glasgow [ Find out more ](https://www.eauk.org/resources/our-resources/ending-demand-for-prostitution-busting-ten-myths) [](https://www.eauk.org/resources/our-resources/ending-demand-for-prostitution-busting-ten-myths) [ ![Why we engage on the issue of violence against women and girls](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ![Community group woman speaking by getty images on unsplash](https://eauk.org/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,quality=90,width=400,fit=cover/https://cdn.eauk.org/Community-group-woman-speaking-by-getty-images-on-unsplash.jpg) ](https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/why-we-engage-on-the-issue-of-violence-against-women-and-girls) [#### Why we engage on the issue of violence against women and girls ](https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/why-we-engage-on-the-issue-of-violence-against-women-and-girls) In Scotland, we campaign for making the purchase of sexual services illegal and to decriminalise the selling of sexual services – Chris Ringland explains why [ ![Chris Ringland](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271%27%20height%3D%271%27%20style%3D%27background%3Atransparent%27%2F%3E) ](/author/chris-ringland) [ Chris Ringland ](/author/chris-ringland) 10 February 2025 [](https://www.eauk.org/news-and-views/why-we-engage-on-the-issue-of-violence-against-women-and-girls) --- ### About Zanna Meynell ![]()Zanna joined the Evangelical Alliance in October 2023 as the advocacy researcher and administrator. She previously worked at Christians Against Poverty in their Bradford office. Zanna loves Jesus and has a keen interest in public policy and politics. She is delighted that she can combine these passions in this role. Having grown up in London, Zanna is enjoying being back in the city, exploring the many parks in her local area and spending lots of time with friends, old and new. [See more from Zanna Meynell](/author/zanna-meynell)