Escape to Safety: Seeking Shelter from Domestic Violence—The Case of Madinah House (1999–2019)

Abstract

Madinah House, a temporary shelter, was founded in 1999 in Trinidad to respond to the needs of battered women and their children who, having escaped their abuse, were forced to deal with practical issues such as housing and safety. In 2019, after having housed more than 1200 clients and their children, the shelter was closed due to insufficient funding to manage its daily expenses and to complete outstanding repair work on its building. This chapter provides information on the day-to-day operations of Madinah House, and, in so doing, contributes to an under-researched area related to gender-based violence in the Caribbean, i.e. safe houses. The two authors, former board members, follow a narrative approach in examining individual client files, journals, and letters, and conducting interviews with former shelter managers. Findings document the 20-year contribution of Madinah House and deepen the understanding of the circumstances of battered women, and the key interventions which afford them support.