"We've had quite a bit of growth in the last 18 months. There's more staff and more management attached to it, and I'm not a manager," explained Ms Harriott. "That's not my skill set, so that's really why I decided to move on and allow someone else with those kind of skills to come in."

She came back to Bermuda in 2001 after completing a psychology degree and a masters in counselling as a mature student. She volunteered as a counsellor at the WRC, and then became clinical supervisor before taking on the additional role of executive director two years ago.

When Ms Harriott first joined, there were only two full-time staffers. Until last fall there were three, but since then another three have joined to boost the counselling and community education services that the WRC offers.

Hence Ms Harriott's decision to step back in order for Elaine Williams, a centre hot line counsellor with extensive managerial experience, to take over the reins.

It has been, she acknowledges, a tough job.

"We're dealing with trauma all the time so that in itself is challenging."

The deaths of two clients have had a particular impact on her during her time at the WRC, one was killed through domestic violence incident and one died of an overdose.

"At the time there are still people to be served and a job still to be done. I'm not even really sure yet what that impact is (of working there) until time passes a bit more I think," she explained.

Ms Harriott, 56, replaced the late Penny Dill in the post of director. Ms Dill worked ten hours per week in addition to her job at XL, but when Ms Harriott took the helm, the position became a full-time post.

She believes having more time to devote to the role helped her bring in more donors to help the WRC, something she counts as a key achievement and led to more staff being hired.

However, that does not mean the centre which has running costs in the region of $400,000 to $500,000 per year is comfortably off financially.

Government funding only met $70,000 of the total this year, and the tough economic times mean donors are not as generous as they used to be.

"This year has been challenging. Our same donors are still donating, they have been very supportive. Some are maintaining the rate of donations. Some have lowered it a bit but are still there. But it's harder to get money now than it was a year ago."

Ms Harriott is also proud to have broadened the focus of the WRC beyond domestic violence, sexual assault and community education to a focus on other women's issues in the community.

Asked what progress has been made in tackling such problems, she said: "I think there's a broader awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault in the community.

"The awareness of the centre has certainly increased. The ideas of domestic violence, sexual assault and oppression of women is still pretty entrenched in the world, not just in Bermuda. So I don't know if we've made huge gains. We're not going to end domestic violence in my lifetime. So, not as much (progress) as I would like.

"There needs to be a deep change in people's perceptions, personal responsibility for their own behaviour, their beliefs about equality in general.

"The oppression of women isn't about oppression all by itself. There's oppression of all sorts of groups, and they all go hand in hand, so there needs to be, across the board, a belief about equality."

Among the other groups affected, she says, are those being discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation something campaigners are battling to get addressed by lawmakers.

"Not being protected under the Human Rights Act is one of a connected group: racism, sexism, sexual orientation, ageism they're all related in some way."

So how to achieve this?

"Education, legislation, and people need to do their own personal work. They need to examine what are their prejudices and their biases and their stereotyping and what are we doing as individuals. What are our beliefs, and are they accurate and are they true. A lot of self-examination."

This, she acknowledges, is not something people in Bermuda are good at doing.

In the coming year the WRC will be closely examining legislation in other countries, and looking at what might need to be implemented here although Ms Harriott said it is too early to detail the specifics.

As for her own future plans, Ms Harriott, who has a grown-up daughter living in Canada said: "I'm not going to do anything. I'm going to take a rest. Take at least three months off and then take a look around and see.

"I'm anxious, I'm excited, and I'm looking forward to the rest. It's a double-edged sword. I'm glad to be doing something different but I'm very sad to leave as well.

"I'm going to miss my colleagues, not just at the centre, but the other charities we work with have been incredibly supportive."

Ms Harriott is a keen artist and has some commissions to complete over the coming months.

She has Bermuda Arts Council funding for the next installation she's working on. She and her partner David are also considering opening their Flatts studio to the public.

She said of her successor at the WRC, Ms Williams: "She's very interested in women's issues. I think she'll be a great addition to the centre. The Women's Resource Centre is a great organisation. I've loved working there.

"The staff there are highly qualified and well able to do the job. It's an accredited organisation (by the Bermuda National Standards Committee). There's a lot of work to be done but the centre is really poised and ready to take on all those things that need to be done.

"We've got a great board of directors. Although we've had phenomenal growth in a short period of time I think we're poised for another spurt and another change and another movement forward.

"Over the next year or two we're going to see more of the Women's Resource Centre in the public eye, making statements and being there."

l If you are in need of urgent help, contact the Women's Resource Centre hot line on 295-7273. For more information, visit www.wrcbermuda.com.