Women's centre closed

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 453, 15 September 1992, Page 11

Women's centre closed

By

Marnie

woodd

The only information centre exclusively for women in the Ruapehu area has closed. The Taihape Women's Centre is now going through the final stages of closing through the Justice department. Women's centre coordinator Janice Tilyard said a lack of interest is

blamed for the closure. The centre provided a listening ear to women, had and extensive library, was a drop-in centre "for women to just plonk and sit", and held good discussions and workshops, Ms Tilyard said. She became involved in the centre two years ago but recently felt she was being drained of energy as she took on more responsibilities. "A lot of the people who were originally in the centre when it first started moved away and no one was coming on board to replace them," she said. The books bought with centre funds over the years have been donated to the T aihape public library.

"My impression is that the centre was seen as a place that condoned an anti-male stance, and that was one of the things that had been a stigma on it," Ms Tilyard said. The centre originally started as a support for the workers at Rape Crisis and Women's Refuge about ten years ago. Women will now have to get information the centre provided, by themselves. "They'll have to use the library, their own network of friends, pub-

lic health nurses, social welfare, police and doctors to get that information," Ms Tilyard said. The Women's Refuge at Taihape is still in operation, it can cater for three families at once and also refers women on to Palmerston North or Wanganui. Refuge co-ordinator Raewyn Bowsher said they get quite a few enquiries from Ohakune and Raetihi women. The refuge offers budgeting advice and helps women cope with the Housing Corporation and the Department of Social Welfare.