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A women's shelter is a place of temporary refuge and support place for women escaping violent or abusive situations, such as rape and domestic violence.

Having the ability to leave a situation of violence is valuable for those who are under attack. Such situations frequently involve an imbalance of power that limits the victim's financial options. The most dangerous time for a domestic violence sufferer is on the point of exit. A person in a domestic violence situation should create an exit safety plan, to leave the situation in a safe manner.

Initially a response to violence against women, a women's shelter may also serve as a place for women to organize for equality, which is an important distinction from standard government-funded service-based approaches to domestic violence. Many states and cities have domestic violence coalitions supporting women's shelters. In the U.S., the National Network to End Domestic Violence provides a national voice, supporting shelters for victims of domestic violence as well as other resources.

History
Women's shelters were created to house women, who have been abused in some way, that are seeking refuge from their abuser. Shelters for abused women are not a new concept. In feudal Japan, some Buddhist temples were known as kakekomi dera, runaway temples where abused women could take shelter before filing for divorce.

In the West, crisis accommodation has been available for women for sometime. In 1964, Haven House, the first "modern" women's shelter in the world, opened in California. Chiswick Women's Aid, the first widely known shelter for battered women was opened in London, in 1971 by Erin Pizzey. Later others opened in places such as Sydney with similar ideals in mind. The first homeless shelter specifically for women, Rosie's Place in Boston, Massachusetts, was opened in 1974 by Kip Tiernan.

Funding
Most funding for Women's Shelters in the United States come from the Federal Government, at about an average of forty to fifty percent in 2010. These grants are administered through the Office on Violence Against Women, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Department of Health and Human Services. Many states have cut their funds for women's shelters. In 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger of California cut all state funding to domestic violence programs. In late 2011 Washington governor Christine Gregoire released a budget proposal stripping all state funding for domestic violence and women's shelters across Washington State. These types of budget cuts caused several women's shelters to close their doors, leaving women with no safe haven to escape violence. Local communities are now also taking it upon themselves to create a safe place for domestic violence refugees. In Grand Forks, British Columbia, a small community of less than 3,600, people organized the Boundary Women's Coalition, to support their local women's shelter.

Male victims
In the United Kingdom, more places have been opened to house male victims of domestic violence, or to house families barred from other shelters, such as women with older male children. The United Kingdom equal rights group Parity asserts that men are unfairly treated in the provision of refuge places, stating that in England and Wales there are provisions for 7,500 refugee women but only 60 for men. Other men's charities such as the DYN Project and the Men's Advice Line dispute the view that male-only refuges are necessarily wanted or needed by most victims, saying that the issue has been misrepresented out of misogyny rather than genuine concern.

In the United States, several women's shelters refuse refuge to men; this discrimination based on gender was challenged in the state of California. (Blumhorst v. Haven Hills, et al., Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. BC291977). However, the case was rejected because the plaintiff lacked significant grounds for suing and on the basis that women's shelters must house women solely, to provide a safe and comfortable environment.

Finding a Shelter
Several websites can help victims escaping violent or abusive situations.

Women's Shelters

Community Outreach Programs for Women

Global Network of Women's Shelters