From the Association of Women's Shelters; key figures from 2019

In 2019, 144 women and 100 children stayed in the Women's Shelter. Women stayed in the shelter from one day to 236 days, with an average of 30 days. Children stayed in the shelter from one day to 155 days, with an average of 39 days. On average, 23 residents stayed in the shelter per day, 12 women and 11 children.

In addition, 294 women came for a total of 545 interviews without a stay. In total, 438 women came to the shelter for interviews or stays during the year. In addition, the shelter's counselors met with 214 individuals for interviews at Bjarkarhlíð, a center for victims of violence.

Overall, 67% of the women who came to the Women's Shelter this year were Icelandic (74% of those who came for interviews and 51% of the women staying there), 74% of the women are from the capital area. The women were aged 18-81 years old and the children ranged from a few days old to 16 years old.

Most women mention more than one reason for coming.

Never before have more women cited violence against children as a reason for coming to the shelter. The women's responses indicate that a total of 349 children under the age of 18 live in the abusive homes they come from. Only 27% of the children had received any help due to the violence the child experienced in their home, while 44% of the women said that child protection had been reported about the violence.

A total of 12% of the women had physical injuries when they first arrived at the shelter (23% of women in residence and 6% of women in interviews), but over half (53%) reported having ever been physically injured in the relationship. 54% said they had feared for their lives in the relationship, 42% said the police had been called to the scene of the violence on one or more occasions, 15% had reported the violence to the police, the majority (60%) of the cases were still being processed, but a verdict had been reached in 5% of the cases, 16% of the reported cases had been dropped, 5% had received a restraining order and 5% had a panic button.

You can see information about it here. Where did the women go after their stay in the shelter?.

The perpetrators 95% were male, 72% were of Icelandic origin and were aged 18-83.

Here you can see the relationship them with the women.

Further information can be obtained from Sigþrúður Guðmundsdóttir, the shelter's executive director.
sighthrudur@kvennaathvarf.is or by phone 869 7225