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Islington Council: Finish Holloway Women’s Centre

When Holloway women’s prison was closed in 2016, Peabody, the housing developer that bought the land, promised to build a women’s centre on it. 

A women’s centre would honour Holloway’s legacy by providing vital services to women who need them most. 

Ten years on, where is the women’s centre? Progress has stalled. Why? Because Islington Council, responsible for making sure the women’s centre is delivered, seems to have forgotten about all it. 

We’re calling on Islington Council to keep their promise to deliver the women’s centre, which will provide a safe space and services for women in London who need them most, and honour the legacy of HMP Holloway as a place for women.

If the council doesn’t step in now, Holloway’s legacy will be erased. The site that should have become a community resource for women who need support could be turned into a cafe amid just another block of overpriced flats in London.

What would Holloway Women’s Centre mean to you? Share your thoughts and or experiences.

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Aim

Force big beauty brands to remove cancerous chemicals from Black women’s hair products

Why is this important?

Millions of Black women around the world use hair relaxers, chemical hair straightening creams, for several reasons: some find it makes their hair easier to manage; some do it to avoid hair discrimination at school or work; some of us just prefer it that way. However, recent studies have shown that use of hair relaxers is linked to increased risk in breast cancer, fibroids, uterine cancer and other serious illnesses.

What is a women’s centre?

The journey so far

What is a women’s centre?​

A women’s centre is a hub for support services that helps women to address key social issues that could lead to them getting swept up into the criminal legal system, including domestic abuse, sexual violence, poverty, trauma, addiction and homelessness.

It’s a safe space for women to turn to where they can find compassion and healing. The Holloway Women’s Centre would be run by a group of specialist organisations that understand the specific needs of women, and are able to provide the holistic support, nurture and safety that they need all in one place.

Most of all, women’s centres are an alternative to prison, with a focus on the prevention of social issues, not punishment. They are a place where women can get the support to stop the continuation of generational trauma and break the cycle of criminalisation, providing women with the resources they need to thrive.

Why is this important?​

Right now, the Holloway women’s centre stands unfinished and women are left without the vital support they need. There’s a group of women’s charities, currently spearheaded by Treasures Foundation, ready and willing to run services from the building – but first, the council needs to make sure the building can open.

When women can access the support they need in one trusted place, they get help before things reach a crisis point. When a woman is transformed, it transforms communities for generations, saving funds across all sectors and services in the long run. 

HMP Holloway is a historic site in feminist history. It’s where the suffragettes were once held, along with thousands of other women over 150 years. 

Building a women’s centre to replace the prison is a powerful symbol of progress. It marks a step forward on how society should treat traumatised women and is a blueprint for a more compassionate society. 

We’re calling on Islington Council to honour their commitment to women and deliver the promised women’s building in a way that is true to the legacy of Holloway.

2023

In May 2023 we secured global press coverage when we sent an open letter to L’Oréal demanding that they:

  • Make their products safe or take them off the shelves
  • Make the nature of the ingredients and possible harms clear on the product label/packaging
  • Invest in research about the long-term impact of these ingredients and products on Black women

The letter was signed by a coalition of MPs, campaigners, and professionals, including Labour MP Dawn Butler; Mandu Reid, the leader of the Women’s Equality party; Baroness Lola Young; Andrea Simon, the director of EVAW; author Reni Eddo-Lodge; actor Lolly Adefopy; and organiser Professor Marai Larasi.

Once again, we’re yet to receive a response from L’Oréal.

We’re still working on this campaign and will continue until L’Oréal take action.

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