Centre For Women's Justice
Centre for Women's Justice is a UK Charitable Incorporated Organisation that undertakes strategic litigation, legal training, and advocacy to hold the state accountable for failures to protect women and girls from male violence, serving survivors and frontline women's sector organisations across England and Wales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Centre For Women's Justice does
Centre for Women's Justice (CWJ) is a UK Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Charity No. 1169213), founded in 2016 and headquartered at Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, London. It undertakes strategic litigation, legal training, and advocacy to hold the state accountable for failures to protect women and girls from male violence, operating across England and Wales. CWJ combines direct casework, second-tier legal advice to frontline women's sector workers, free training programmes (with free provision to organisations run by and for Black, Asian and minoritised women), and high-profile advocacy campaigns including the Police Perpetrated Domestic Abuse super-complaint, Stop Criminalising Survivors, HOPE, Women Who Kill and Double Standard.
The organisation's service portfolio comprises a Legal Reference Panel delivering pro bono legal advice, the Azra Kemal paid legal internship programme, a mentoring scheme that has supported over 100 Black, Asian and minoritised women, and the annual Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize. Sub-brands include the SistersInLaw blog and the International Feminist Legal Network (IFLN). Underlying technology is limited to cloud-based case management, electronic file storage, and standard payment/analytics integrations (PayPal, Stripe, CrowdJustice, JustGiving, Donorfy, Donr, Enthuse, Easy fundraising, CAF Bank, Google Analytics) — there is no proprietary technology platform or AI component.
Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining Legal Aid Agency contracts for legal advice work, donations and fundraising (including CrowdJustice crowdfunding for case-specific appeals), paid training and consultancy to non-minoritised organisations, and grants. Services are free at the point of delivery to survivors, and the go-to-market motion is referral-led, with the majority of assisted women coming through frontline women's sector organisations such as Women's Aid, Rape Crisis, Southall Black Sisters and the Imkaan network of 12 member organisations. As of February 2025, CWJ employed 16 staff and operated with an 8-trustee board under CEO Harriet Wistrich and Chair Sasha Deepwell.
Centre For Women's Justice firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Centre For Women's Justice
- Legal name
- Centre for Women's Justice
- Website
- https://centreforwomensjustice.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Centre for Women's Justice is a UK Charitable Incorporated Organisation that undertakes strategic litigation, legal training, and advocacy to hold the state accountable for failures to protect women and girls from male violence, serving survivors and frontline women's sector organisations across England and Wales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Centre For Women's Justice industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Non-profit Legal Advocacy Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (54111), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Individual and Family Services (6241)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD), Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD), Victim Services & Witness Assistance (Justice System) (BPAIAFAJ)
Keywords
Where Centre For Women's Justice is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Centre For Women's Justice business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Legal Aid Funding: CWJ contracts with the Legal Aid Agency to provide legal advice services, representing a core funding stream for the organisation's legal work.
- Donations and Fundraising: CWJ receives donations from individuals and organisations, runs fundraising campaigns, and accepts legacy gifts. They use platforms including CrowdJustice, JustGiving, and CAF Bank for processing donations.
- Training and Consultancy Services: CWJ provides training for frontline women's sector organisations, with free training offered to organisations run by and for Black, Asian and minoritised women. Paid training and consultancy services are also provided to other organisations.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Centre For Women's Justice product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Centre for Women's Justice provides free specialist legal advice and representation to women survivors of male violence, undertakes strategic litigation against state agencies (including police, CPS, and courts), delivers training to frontline women's sector organisations, runs mentoring and internship programmes to diversify the legal profession, and conducts policy advocacy and campaigns for criminal justice reform. Services are delivered primarily through referral partnerships with frontline organisations and a volunteer Legal Reference Panel of solicitors and barristers across England and Wales.
Product overview
Centre for Women's Justice is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Charity No. 1169213) offering a portfolio of legal advocacy services, training programs, and advocacy campaigns focused on holding the state accountable for violence against women and girls. The core offerings include: pro bono legal advice services delivered through a Legal Reference Panel of volunteer solicitors and barristers; training programs for frontline women's sector workers; the Azra Kemal Legal Internship Programme for minoritised women; and a mentoring scheme for aspiring legal professionals. Major advocacy campaigns include the Police Perpetrated Domestic Abuse project (including a national super-complaint), the Stop Criminalising Survivors campaign, the Women Who Kill research initiative, and the HOPE Campaign for expunging unjust convictions. The organization also publishes policy research and maintains the SistersInLaw blog for commentary on justice issues.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SistersInLaw Blog: Blog platform for the organisation covering legal issues affecting women
- Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize
- The Azra Kemal Legal Internship Programme
- International Feminist Legal Network (IFLN)
Products and services
- Pro Bono Legal Advice Service Second-tier legal advice service provided by CWJ lawyers and external lawyers on the Legal Reference Panel to frontline support workers assisting survivors of violence against women and girls. Provides specialist legal expertise to frontline women's sector organisations across England and Wales.
- CWJ Training for Frontline Women's Sector Free domestic and sexual abuse advocacy training delivered to frontline women's sector organisations, prioritising 'by and for' Black, Asian and minoritised women's organisations across England and Wales. Paid training and consultancy services are provided to other organisations.
- The Azra Kemal Legal Internship Programme Paid paralegal internship programme for women from minoritised backgrounds to assist in diversifying the legal workforce, providing opportunities to work with lawyers and campaigners seeking justice for women's rights. Launched as part of CWJ's Anti-Racism Strategy in 2021.
- Mentoring Scheme Mentorship programme for Black, Asian and minoritised women seeking to enter the legal profession or those already in the profession seeking external mentorship. Supported by volunteer solicitors and barristers on the Legal Reference Panel.
- Policy & Research Policy research and publications on violence against women and girls, criminal justice system failures, and systemic discrimination in the legal system. Outputs include the CWJ Manifesto, 'Women Who Kill' report, and other research briefings used as evidence bases for advocacy and policy influencing.
- Police Perpetrated Domestic Abuse (PPDA) Project Strategic litigation and advocacy project addressing domestic abuse and violence perpetrated by police officers against women, including a national super-complaint lodged with the police super-complaints system in 2019 and ongoing collective action. The project has resulted in approximately 160 women coming forward with similar experiences of police perpetrated abuse.
Quantifiable outcome
- Landmark Supreme Court judgment in DSD and NBV v Commissioner of Police establishing police duty to investigate serious crimes under Article 3 ECHR
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Centre For Women's Justice
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Centre For Women's Justice technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
Centre For Women's Justice partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- AdviceUKminorCWJ is a member of AdviceUK, a network for social welfare legal advice providers. This membership indicates alignment with quality standards in advice provision.
- CAF Bank LtdcoreCWJ's financial accounts are held with CAF Bank Ltd. All donations made by bank transfer or cheque are processed by CAF Bank in accordance with its privacy policy and UK law.
- Women's AidcoreMajor national domestic abuse charity. CWJ works with Women's Aid organisations across the country as a key referral pathway and source of evidence on trends and systemic failings in criminal justice response to domestic abuse.
- Rape CrisiscoreNational charity providing support to survivors of sexual violence. CWJ collaborates with Rape Crisis centres across England and Wales as referral partners and source of evidence on criminal justice failures in rape cases.
- ImkaancoreUmbrella organisation for Black and minoritised women's organisations. CWJ has provided free domestic and sexual abuse advocacy training to 12 Imkaan member organisations across England and Wales since November 2020.
- Southall Black SisterscoreSpecialist 'by and for' organisation supporting Black and minoritised women. Key referral partner for CWJ's services to survivors from diverse backgrounds.
- Apna HaqminorRotherham-based specialist 'by and for' group supporting women escaping violence. Provided witness evidence to IICSA facilitated by CWJ on experiences of minoritised survivors.
- Angelou CentreminorNorth East-based specialist women's organisation. Provided evidence on racist policing and criminalisation of Black girls experiencing sexual exploitation, facilitated by CWJ's involvement in IICSA.
- We Can't Consent To ThisminorCampaign group. CWJ worked with this group to prepare evidence to intervene in criminal appeal court hearings on sentencing for male violence against women.
- Police Spies Out of LivesminorCampaign group of women who were victims of undercover police officers. CWJ has featured their work on the undercover police scandal and long road to justice.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Centre For Women's Justice competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Refuge: Major UK charity providing specialist support for women and children experiencing domestic abuse; comparable as a frontline VAWG organisation with overlapping referral pathways and survivor support remit, although Refuge focuses more on direct service delivery than strategic litigation.
- Rights of Women: UK charity providing specialist legal advice to women on family law, criminal law, immigration and asylum; directly comparable as a women's-specialist legal charity offering free legal advice and second-tier sector support, overlapping closely with CWJ's Legal Reference Panel model.
- End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW): UK coalition of NGOs and specialists working to end violence against women; directly comparable as a coalition partner CWJ co-campaigned with in the historic legal challenge against the DPP on rape prosecutions, sharing policy advocacy remit.
- Rape Crisis England & Wales: National umbrella body for specialist sexual violence services in England and Wales; directly comparable as a referral partner and sector collaborator, sharing CWJ's focus on criminal justice system failures for rape survivors.
- Southall Black Sisters: Specialist 'by and for' Black and minoritised women's organisation providing advice, advocacy and casework; comparable as a referral partner and sector collaborator serving the same intersectional survivor population CWJ targets.
- Women's Aid Federation of England: National federation coordinating domestic abuse services in England; directly comparable as a UK women's sector organisation that refers survivors into CWJ and collaborates on criminal justice advocacy, sharing the same end-user population and policy goals.
- Imkaan: UK umbrella organisation for Black and minoritised women's specialist services addressing VAWG; directly comparable as a referral and training partner, with CWJ having trained 12 Imkaan member organisations since 2020, sharing a clear intersectional focus.
Others
- Women's Resource Centre: UK charity supporting women's organisations with capacity-building, training and policy advocacy; comparable as an enabling sector-support organisation that supports many of the same frontline organisations CWJ trains and partners with.
Emerging players
- Hibiscus Initiatives: UK charity supporting Black, minoritised and migrant women in contact with the criminal justice system; partially comparable as a specialist service for an overlapping intersectional population, with similar advocacy on the criminalisation of women.
Regional players
- Welsh Women's Aid: Federation of specialist domestic abuse services in Wales; comparable as a sector coordination body for VAWG services and a likely referral partner for CWJ's England and Wales footprint, although operating specifically for the Welsh devolved context.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Centre For Women's Justice social profiles
Digital presenceCentre For Women's Justice financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Centre For Women's Justice leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Centre For Women's Justice funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Centre For Women's Justice M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Centre For Women's Justice
What does Centre For Women's Justice do?
Centre for Women's Justice provides free specialist legal advice and representation to women survivors of male violence, undertakes strategic litigation against state agencies (including police, CPS, and courts), delivers training to frontline women's sector organisations, runs mentoring and internship programmes to diversify the legal profession, and conducts policy advocacy and campaigns for criminal justice reform. Services are delivered primarily through referral partnerships with frontline organisations and a volunteer Legal Reference Panel of solicitors and barristers across England and Wales.
Is Centre For Women's Justice a public or private company?
Centre For Women's Justice is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Centre For Women's Justice founded?
Centre For Women's Justice was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Centre For Women's Justice based?
Centre For Women's Justice is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Centre For Women's Justice make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Legal Aid Funding is the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising and training and Consultancy Services.
Who are Centre For Women's Justice's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Refuge, Rights of Women, End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), Rape Crisis England & Wales, Southall Black Sisters, Women's Aid Federation of England and Imkaan. Women's Resource Centre is listed as an others. Hibiscus Initiatives is listed as an emerging player. Welsh Women's Aid is listed as a regional player.
Does Centre For Women's Justice have an API?
No public API is recorded for Centre For Women's Justice.
What industry is Centre For Women's Justice in?
Centre For Women's Justice's product category is Non-profit Legal Advocacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAFAC, Public Defense & Legal Aid Services, with a secondary code of BPAGAFAD, Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy. Its NAICS code is 54111 and its SIC code is 8111.