The three leading charities that help women who have been raped, trafficked or are victims of domestic violence survive on less money combined than the Donkey Sanctuary.

A new report calculates that violence against women costs the economy £40 billion a year in police time, lost earnings and health services. Yet the main charities that help the victims to navigate the criminal justice system or to flee their homes are “grossly underfunded”.

The report, Hard Knock Life, found that the three most prominent charities – Refuge, Women’s Aid Federation of England and Eaves Housing for Women – have a combined income of £17 million. The Donkey Sanctuary’s income for 2006 was £20 million. The report was drawn up over the past 18 months by New Philanthropy Capital (NPC), a research group that assesses charities’ performance.

Services for trafficked women are particularly poor. Ten years ago 85 per cent of women in British brothels were British and now 85 per cent are foreign born. Official data suggests that at least 4,000 women in Britain have been trafficked, although this is considered to be an underestimate.

The report says that coffee bars at Heathrow have become the venue of “try before you buy” sales, where pimps select women, take them home and rape them before offering a price.

However, services for women who are fleeing from pimps are scarce, the report says. The Poppy Project, part of Eaves Housing for Women, is the biggest provider of services yet it has only 35 beds in the whole country.

Rape support services have gone into a decline. In 1996 the Rape Crisis Network in England and Wales had 60 centres, but there are now only 38.

Despite many initiatives on rape, the conviction rate is only 6 per cent, although more women are reporting the crime. The problem of domestic violence is even more prevalent. One in four women has experienced at least one episode of domestic violence, and on average two women a week are killed by their partner.

NPC said: “We would urge donors and government to support the vital work conducted by charities highlighted in our report.”

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