It's not the injustice that drives us, it's her hope for a better life.

Women’s Health Matters supports disadvantaged and marginalised women and girls to have a fair chance at a better life.

Please visit https://www.womenshealthmatters.org.uk/

We work intensively with around 1200 women, their families, and girls each year in and around Leeds. These women and girls are most at risk, including those experiencing domestic violence, sexual and emotional abuse, those with children in care or at risk of being removed, women seeking asylum, women with learning disabilities, and women with complex needs or mental health and wellbeing needs. We also support with parenting and pregnancy choices. We take a woman-centred holistic approach, creating a safe, nurturing environment to help women and girls recover their confidence, explore their own needs and regain control over their lives. We specialise in group work, peer support, and providing one-to-one support. Our broad health remit enables women and girls experiencing violence and abuse to raise these issues in safety and to receive support without stigma or partner suspicion. Our outreach work allows us to broaden our reach to a wide range of women who have often found it difficult to work with statutory services. We create a safe environment where women can build trusting relationships and begin to recover their health and regain control of their lives.

100% of the women and girls we support said they felt satisfied with the support they have received from Women's Health Matters, with 97% having increased confidence, 94% feeling more positive about their future, and 98% feeling better able to respond to abusive relationships.

Women's Health Matters is a charity run by women, for women. We believe that women are the experts in their own lives and goals, and work holistically to empower, inspire and support them. We want the women and girls of Leeds to feel safe, happy, empowered and able to make healthy choices for themselves, their families and their communities. We work with women who have unequal access to health or support services due to their ethnicity, disability, sexuality, income or traumatic life experiences. We recognise the unique potential in all women and work with them to identify and overcome the barriers they feel are preventing them from reaching their full potential. Women's voices are at the centre or all of our work and development.

Paths to Freedom
We work with women and girls struggling to make their way out of abuse, exploitation and trauma - building the services she needs delivered in an environment that is non-stigmatising, non-shaming, collaborative and empowering. Our goal is to help make her way to freedom by supporting her journey.

Our outreach work allows us to broaden our reach to a wide range of women who have often found it difficult to work with statutory services. Through group work, peer support and intensive 1:1 support, we create a safe environment where women can build trusting relationships and begin to recover their health and regain control of their lives. ​We provide support within the following areas: Domestic Violence and Abuse, parenting, women with children living in someone else’s care, women seeking asylum, women with learning difficulties, and women with complex needs or mental health and well-being needs.

"Thanks to Women’s Health Matters I feel a lot better. I’ve left the person who mistreated me and realised I don’t need to be with anyone to be happy. I’m a lot more confident. I’ve got my fire back about me!"

"Women's Health Matters has changed my life. It has reiterated that as women we are 100% better together. The future looks exciting with job opportunities and the confidence to parent my son in a healthy, inspiring way."

"I am not alone, I am more confident now about understanding what has happened to us. I have been given the tools and support to help me improve my mental health. I feel understood and more informed."