The story below is a rare glimpse into the way power and control is exercised by radical feminist gatekeepers.

It is interesting to compare their behaviour with other feminist groups such as the National Network of Stopping Violence Services, and Doctors for Sexual Abuse Care.

Wanganui Chronicle: Refuge wrangle goes on

Wanganui agencies are again questioning why it’s taken so long to open another refuge when $70,000 is sitting in the Wanganui account held by the National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuge Inc (NCIWR).

They’re also questioning why the NCWIR is paying $230 a week for a safe house in Wanganui that’s not being used. The former Women’s and Children’s Shelter was affiliated to the NCIWR, but it was closed in March 2005 when CYF, its main funding provider, withdrew its funding after an audit found faults with the way it was run.

For that reason, Wanganui women who supported victims of domestic violence don’t want a refuge affiliated to the NCIWR.

They believe an independent refuge run by a local charitable trust would provide far better services to abused women and children in Wanganui.

In September 2005, an interim governance group, the Wanganui Women’s Refuge (WWR), was formed.

City Missioner Shirley-Joy Barrow last month resigned from the WWR governance group citing the behaviour of the NCIWR as the reason.

Ms Barrow said she agreed to be a member of the current group but found as time went on that the NCIWR bullied people through their control of meetings and processes.