Highland Council bosses have refused to directly confirm how a move towards a new domestic abuse policy at the potential expense of local Women's Aid was made.
The issue will be discussed at least three times at this week's full council meeting amid mounting concerns at the approach of officials.
The council's new approach seeks to provide support for anyone - female, male, non-binary and trans people.
But this is a move away from the previous gendered approach - which focused on women and girls.
Highland Council said it is in the process of establishing a "Highland-wide Domestic Abuse Service for all victim-survivors, irrespective of location, sex or gender identity".
The updated approach also included a new domestic abuse housing policy that they announced last month - this caused uncertainty surrounding the future of current refuse provision.
Inverness Women's Aid chairwoman Eilidh Ross said that "catastrophic" funding cuts that came with the new policy could force the city's refuge to close.
Officials were quick to deny that any cuts would apply to the refuge but in a statement said "a procurement exercise to find service providers to deliver a domestic abuse outreach service for all victim-survivors from April 2026" had been launched.
The current contract is held by all four Highland Women's Aid charities - this will run out in March 2026.
Caithness and Sutherland's Women's Aid also signalled that it was deeply concerned by the new review which is due to report in time for next year's budget.
Those developments sparked a sharp response with four councillors asking two questions and submitting a motion calling for an emergency meeting in January.
In a written question, Councillor Angela MacLean (Dingwall and Seaforth, Liberal Democrat) asked what evidence there was to support the changes, when it was agreed and by what council committee.
She described the council's decision as a "departure from the nationally agreed political position under Equally Safe".
The chairman of health and social care, Councillor David Fraser said that the decision was confirmed in "official statements and procurement notices".
He said: "We fully support the principles of Equally Safe, which recognise that violence against women and girls is rooted in gender inequality and requires specialist, women-only services.
"At the same time, we acknowledge that men and non-binary individuals also experience domestic abuse and need appropriate support."
Cllr MacLean did not stop there and backed a motion by her party colleague Jan McEwan (Wick and East Caithness) calling for a special meeting.
The motion stated: "That a special meeting of the health social care be convened by mid-January 2026 to review and discuss the domestic abuse interventions strategy for the Highland Council region and ways to reduce domestic violence generally."
The current contract for providing domestic abuse support across the Highlands is held by all four Women's Aid organisations but last month the council stated that this will run out in March 2026.
A second question from Councillor Ruraidh Stewart (Skye and Raasay, Conservative) asked Cllr Fraser when will the local authority be in a position to award a new contract?
The chairman's response stated that a review of housing provisions for survivors of domestic abuse is currently under way including refugee provision so it cannot confirm at this stage.