CWASU
CWASU, originally the Child Abuse Studies Unit, was established in 1987 by Mary MacLeod and Esther Saraga. Full-time staff at what was then the Polytechnic of North London, their aim was to develop feminist theory and practice and take it into professional training, especially social work.
Liz Kelly was appointed as the first full-time member of staff in September 1987. Her brief was to develop research, information and networking. Then, in the second year of the Unit's existence, the focus altered to also encompass abuse of adult women, thus becoming the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit.
CWASU relies for its existence on external funding. Not only has it survived thirteen years in the academic marketplace, it's also expanded its staffing levels.
An important training initiative was developed early on. In addition, CWASU ran a number of small but significant conferences and regular seminars. These were innovatory at the time, with many picking up on issues that feminists have since been accused of ignoring.
Never afraid of exploring complexity or admitting there are gaps in feminist theory and practice, CWASU asks hard questions to which there are never immediate answers or solutions.
CWASU has built, developed and maintained creative links with statutory and voluntary sectors, researchers, practitioners and policy makers, both in the UK and internationally. Most recently, its work has expanded into the areas of evaluation, policy research and the provision of expert opinions for legal cases.
