The program works with 45 other co-sponsoring organizations to host an annual International Women's Day celebration. More than 700 people turned out to observe this year's event. In the five years the Women's Program has put on the celebration, attendance has continued to grow, Phillips said. The Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women is a membership organization which aids battered women's programs at the statewide level. The Coalition aids domestic violence programs statewide to procure state and national funding, and assists in training and facility set-up.
Shelters are residential facilities which provide temporary shelter for abuse victims.
Many of the shelters help women find legal help, support groups and address children's issues. Although shelters provide a sanctuary where women and children can seek help and advice free from threat, for women intent on leaving their partners shelters are only a short-term solution. Many advocates feel it is important that a women need not lose her home simply to escape her abuser. What is more, overcrowding and availability limit many women's access to shelters. Raffesberger acknowledged that shelters alone cannot possibly stem the tide of battered women.