Christchurch Women's Refuge becomes Aviva Family Violence Services
Fri 17 May 2013
Christchurch Women's Refuge has announced its name change to Aviva Family Violence Services, in its 40th anniversary year. This follows the agency ...
Christchurch Women's Refuge has announced its name change to Aviva Family Violence Services, in its 40th anniversary year. This follows the agency providing an increasing range of services, including stopping violence services for men.
The agency undertook research around the name change in 2012. Aviva reports, "Some women even indicated that they had been reluctant to access refuge services, believing that the agency only dealt with cases of physical violence or that accessing the agency’s support would mean they had to leave their relationship or enter a Safe House. Research also confirmed that the name led many people to assume that all the agency offered was a physical refuge (only 10% of clients actually use the Safe House) and that men did not find the name Christchurch Women's Refuge approachable or relevant to them."
CEO Nicola Woodward says, "The name Aviva expresses the spirit of potential, action and life, which that we wish to embody and express to our clients and communities. We recognised that if our current name has limited our relevance or accessibility to women and children we needed to change."
Christchurch Women's Refuge was the first refuge in New Zealand. The name will be retained it for its Safe House.
'Anniversary Brings Name Change for First Women’s Refuge', Press Release: Aviva, 10.05.2013
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