Foyle Women's Aid began operations in Londonderry in 1976 when Avila Kilmurray and another woman occupied a vacant building on Pump Street. They crossed an Army checkpoint with a ladder to enter through an unlatched window. The site served as a refuge for women and children fleeing domestic abuse. In its first year, 90 women and 300 children used the facility.

Londonderry faced violence from The Troubles during that period, which contributed to domestic abuse remaining hidden in communities. Marie Brown, chief executive of Foyle Women's Aid, noted the secrecy surrounding such cases. In the 1990s, women reporting abuse risked retaliation in areas controlled by paramilitaries, according to Brown.

Karen McLaughlin entered the refuge at age seven in 1980 with her mother and stayed for three years. She returned as an adult to escape abusive relationships. Irene Wilson, who married in the summer of 1976 and lived nearby, sought shelter after an assault that required police involvement.

Services have grown over five decades to include the Foyle Family Justice Centre, providing legal aid and housing support. Barney McElholm, a district judge in Londonderry for 23 years until his retirement last year, highlighted the centre's role in aiding women seeking justice.