Womanshelter/Compañeras is dedicated to assisting, supporting, and empowering those whose lives are affected by battering and abuse. Founded in 1980 as a grassroots collective, the organization has sheltered more than 2,000 women and children and assisted 30,000 others through community-based support programs.
Womanshelter/Compañeras’ philosophy is based on the understanding that victims and survivors of domestic violence deserve respect and can make their own choices. Staff present options and offer a high level of emotional support for independent decision-making. Confidentiality is held in highest regard; as a private non-profit organization, Womanshelter/Compañeras and all its interactions are protected under Massachusetts law (MGL 233, 20K).
Central to Womanshelter/Compañeras’ mission is the reduction and prevention of domestic violence. Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive behaviors that involves physical abuse or the threat of physical abuse. It also may include repeated psychological abuse, sexual assault, isolation, intimidation, or economic and/or medical deprivation. Domestic violence is violence perpetrated by adults or adolescents against their intimate partners in current or former dating, married, or cohabitating relations. Domestic violence can be perpetrated against victims of any race, ethnicity, economic level, educational background, faith, or sexual orientation.
