Erin Pizzey
Erin Pizzey | |
|---|---|
Pizzey interviewed in 2016 | |
| Born | Erin Patria Margaret Carney 19 February 1939 |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Cheikh Anta Diop University |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Organisation | Chiswick Women's Aid |
| Known for | Establishing the world's first domestic violence shelters, founding the charity Refuge |
| Notable work | Scream Quietly or the Neighbours Will Hear, Prone to Violence |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2, including Amos Pizzey |
Erin Patria Margaret Pizzey CBE (/ˈpɪtsi/; born 19 February 1939) is a British men's rights activist and novelist known for her advocacy on behalf of both men's and women's rights and for her work against domestic violence. She is recognized for founding the world's first and largest domestic violence shelter in the world, Refuge, then known as Chiswick Women's Aid, in 1971.
Pizzey says that she has been the subject of death threats and boycotts because her experience and research into the issue led her to conclude that most domestic violence is reciprocal, and that women are as capable of violence as men. These threats eventually led to her exile from the UK. Pizzey has said that the threats were from militant feminists. She has also stated that she is banned from the refuge she started.