Evaluation of Medium- to Long-Term Women’s Shelters: Insights from Shelter Staff in Taiwan

Abstract

To date, 17 medium- to long-term women’s shelters provide services to survivors of domestic violence in Taiwan. However, little is known about these shelters or the women they help. This study collected quantitative data from senior managers of 17 such shelters. The results revealed that as of 2020, these shelters had been in operation for 1.8 years, on average, and had assisted a total of 186 clients. The shelters contain an average of 5.5 rooms available for families, with an average minimum stay of 6 months and maximum stay of approximately 8 months. The managers perceive the main problems of the shelters to be insufficient funding, high staff resignation rates, the charging of utility and cleaning fees, old facilities, high admittance rates of foreign spouses, and a lack of facilities for older adults and people with disabilities. The shelters provide services to a diverse group of survivors, comprising Taiwanese citizens (54.1%), indigenous people (3.7%), and foreign spouses (42.2%). These findings have practical implications for women’s shelters providing help to domestic violence survivors. Additional exploration of the shelters and allocation of additional funds for the shelters’ development is necessary. Future research could explore the effectiveness of services offered to survivors.