Hague Mothers’ Project Team
Some of the women who are working with us have been involved for many years in the fight for justice, some are new to the campaign. Some have joined the project because of their personal experiences, others through knowing or hearing about mothers whose lives have been torn apart by the Convention.
Heartfelt thanks to all of you – including those who have to remain anonymous for reasons of personal safety.
*Our movement for justice is growing… we’ll update this page on a regular basis.
International Strategy Group
Our stellar International Strategy Group will work to increase our influence and effectiveness on a global stage. In addition to the members listed below, three Hague mothers have joined our International Strategy Group. They have experience of the Hague in South America, India, Europe and Australia, and have also amassed extensive expertise about the implementation of the Convention and its devastating impact on mothers and children. They have asked to remain anonymous. We are enormously grateful for their input.
Stephanie Brandt (US)
Miranda Kaye (AUS)
Mothers’ Expert Group
Our 10-member Mothers’ Expert Group will help ensure that we stay focused on the realities of the Convention, and on solutions which will help us achieve our collective goal. They come from across the globe, and include mothers whose experience of being ‘Hagued’ was a long time ago, and those who are currently fighting to protect their children and retain custody. Heartfelt thanks to them for their generosity in giving their time and energy to help with the campaign.
The majority have to remain anonymous. Others are listed in our Team Members’ section.
Team Members
Our team members support us in a host of ways; producing information and resources for Hague mothers and those at risk of becoming Hague mothers, extending our understanding of the impact of domestic violence, running undergraduate programmes on the HAC, producing training for organisations, helping us become more trauma-informed, heading up research, writing academic papers and media articles, hosting podcasts, lobbying politicians, raising awareness, and generally being wonderful.
Australia, New Zealand, Japan
United Kingdom & Europe +
United States, Canada, South America
FiLiA Hague Mothers is woman-led and woman-focused. We wish, however, to acknowledge Jeffrey Edleson (UC Berkeley) for his continuing and much appreciated support for our campaign. A link to his 2013 book on the impact of the Hague Abduction Convention on mothers and children fleeing domestic violence can be found on our resources page.
Ruth Dineen is co-ordinating the project with invaluable help from FiLiA volunteers.
Ruth is a FiLiA volunteer and the co-ordinator of the Hague Mothers project. She is also one of the co-founders of Merched Cymru, a grassroots group of women from across Wales working to protect and promote the rights of women and girls. Ruth also co-founded the Co-production Network for Wales, based on Edgar Kahn’s principles of collectivism and social justice, and is a co-production trainer and facilitator. She was previously Head of Department of Creative Communications at Cardiff Metropolitan University.
Michelle Kerwin has been a FiLiA volunteer since 2018 and helping with Ruth on the Hague Mothers project since 2022. She is a radical feminist and passionate about the work she does with FiLiA, and was a key member of the team that made Glasgow 2023 happen. She is also the FiLiA Legacy Project Lead. When not fighting the patriarchy she is usually cuddling one of 3 cats, crafting, or out in a green space – especially on a cold day.
Partnerships
Our knowledge and networks are very much strengthened by a growing number of formal partnerships with both grassroots groups and NGOs. Our thanks to them for their willingness to collaborate with us and to share their expertise.
They are: Backbone Collective (NZ), Brunel University London, Global Lives Research Centre; Gambe; GlobalARRK; Hague Collective (US); Hague Explained CIC; Her Hague Story; Hague Mothers Japan; New Zealand Hague Collective; Revibra Europe; SHERA Research Group; Survivor Family Network; University College London, Institute for Risk & Disaster Reduction; Women Against Violence Europe (WAVE Network); Women’s Legal Services Australia.