Brighton Women’s Centre Welcomes Landmark Impact Report from the National Women’s Justice Coalition (NWJC)

Published: 13 April 2026

 

BWC is proud to welcome the publication of Stronger Together – Four Years of the National Women’s Justice Coalition, the first national impact and evaluation report from the National Women’s Justice Coalition (NWJC). 

The report evidences the significant influence the NWJC has had over the past four years in shaping national policy, and in commissioning and funding specialist women’s services supporting women in contact with the criminal justice system.  

What is the National Women’s Justice Coalition?  

From five founding members in 2021, working together for gender specific support and clearer guidance that supports women involved with the criminal justice system has since grown into a respected national coalition of 26 partner organisations, over a third of which are small, specialist, women’s services. 

The report: A stronger national voice for women’s centres 

The report highlights how the NWJC has strengthened the visibility, legitimacy and influence of women’s organisations at a national level during a period marked by economic pressure, rising demand on services and political uncertainty. 

Key achievements outlined in the report include: 

  • Launching the UK’s first Women’s Services Map, a trusted national directory now featuring over 100 women’s centres and more than 420 specialist services, supporting women, practitioners, commissioners and funders to access gender-responsive support. 
  • Championing lived experience leadership through the creation of the National Voice & Advisory Panel, ensuring women with lived experience of the criminal justice system help shape national policy and practice. 
  • Centring anti-racist practice through coalition-wide training, dedicated steering groups and targeted support for small, specialist by/for led organisations to better understand and address systemic inequalities 
  • Making the case for sustainable, long-term funding for women’s centres by evidencing the funding cliff edge facing specialist women’s organisations. 
  • Reinforcing the impact of the Women’s Centre Model – an approach that BWC and other centres have delivered for decades – in improving outcomes for women and offering effective alternatives to custody. 

Looking ahead 

While celebrating progress, the report is clear that there is more to do. It sets out priorities for the next phase of the NWJC’s work, including securing long-term investment in women’s centres, strengthening understanding of the Women’s Centre Model and deepening lived experience leadership within national decision making. 

Of the report, Director Lisa Dando said; 

“For BWC, the report is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when women’s organisations come together for a mutual goal. The outcomes, as a result of the work of the NWJC in the past four years, are welcome improvements to support women not just in our communities, but across the country, as they navigate the ongoing impact of structural inequality. As a founding member of the NWJC, BWC remains committed to working collectively to ensure women’s expertise, lived experience and specialist services continue to be heard, valued and invested in – locally and nationally.” 

The full report, Stronger Together – Four Years of the National Women’s Justice Coalition, is available to download here.  

For more information, please visit the National Women’s Justice Coalition website.

Notes: Brighton Women’s Centre is one of the five founding organisations that helped establish the NWJC in 2021, alongside Women in Prison, Anawim, Together Women and The Nelson Trust.