An escalation of assaults on women has spurred the Women?s Resource Centre to ?Fight Back? with a new campaign to educate, communicate and raise funds in the community.

?Statistics for 2005 show that domestic violence has been escalating with incidents resulting in more and more serious injuries,? WRC executive director Penny Dill said.

?This campaign is designed to educate the public and those at risk about our services. It also sends a strong message that violence is wrong and should not be accepted as a normal way of life.?

?Fight Back? has a main goal of letting victims of domestic abuse know that they should speak and reach out for help.

Violence was occurring against all types of women on the Island, it said, regardless of race, professional status or age.

It also affected their extended families.

Ms Dill said the effects of domestic violence were felt in every strata of Bermuda society.

?In a culture where many women balance two or more jobs to get by, have children in school, and stay in abusive relationships because of high housing costs. They are putting themselves and their children at risk,? Ms Dill said. ?With a workforce estimated at 89 percent female, the short and long term impact of domestic violence can be staggering. Many victims? work performance suffers with reduced concentration, depression and absenteeism reflected in overall poor job performance.?

The overall fundraising goal of the ?Fight Back? campaign was $450,000 and will go towards counselling, court advocate and community education programmes. Sponsors already included the XL Foundation, the Ace Foundation, Max Re Ltd. and AdVantage Advertising, Design & Corporate Communications. ?We are asking Bermuda to recognise that this is a problem and by supporting the WRC you enable us to better support women in need and at risk,? Ms Dill said.