What's New - Page 111 of 136 - Canadian Women's Foundation

Day 15: Sex Trafficking is a Human Rights Issue

Day 15: Sex Trafficking is a Human Rights Issue

Karen Campbell2021-05-11T13:54:56+00:00December 9, 2015|Gender-based violence, Human trafficking|

For the last two weeks, I have had the privilege to travel across the country to visit social service agencies and community-based organizations that are championing anti-trafficking initiatives at the local level. Most of these programs are run by women and informed by people who have experienced trafficking in one form or another. All of them are looking for ways to support those who have been trafficked while tackling the root causes of the problem in their communities.

When we speak of sex trafficking at the Canadian Women’s Foundation, we define it as an extreme form of violence against woman and girls. The coercion of a girl or a woman to engage in sex for the financial gain of another is nothing less than violent and an egregious form of abuse that must not be tolerated. Less often discussed in public forums is the fact that sex trafficking is also a human rights violation. Sex trafficking is more than just one person mistreating another — it is the result of systemic problems in our society that need to be urgently addressed.

Day 14: How Shelters Help Women Make a Difficult Leap

Day 14: How Shelters Help Women Make a Difficult Leap

Anqi Shen2017-12-19T17:24:27+00:00December 8, 2015|Gender-based violence|

When a woman finds herself in a violent relationship, leaving is not as simple as many would think. Does she have a safe place to go if she leaves? Will her abuser retaliate? If she has children, how will she navigate the family court system? These questions, and more, make a difficult decision all the more grueling.

On top of the emotional stress, it’s a challenge for many women who leave their abusers to find affordable housing. Across Canada, housing prices have been steadily rising, with experts sounding alarms over a severe shortage of affordable housing to buy or rent. Many women face a difficult choice between living with violence and living in poverty.

Day 13: Illustrating How Emotional Abuse Feels

Day 13: Illustrating How Emotional Abuse Feels

Jocelyne Frank2017-12-19T17:24:46+00:00December 7, 2015|Gender-based violence, Guest bloggers, Women in media|

Controlling behaviours, jealousy, yelling, bullying, threats: these are just some of the aspects of emotional abuse. You might think that if you’re not physically hurt, you’re not the victim of abuse. This is not necessarily true. Emotional abuse can be just as traumatic as physical violence and lead to depression, anxiety and even suicide.

As an illustrator I express myself through my art and in these illustrations I show how a victim might feel in the midst of emotional abuse. It's as though you become a psychological punching bag for someone else's problems, absorbing the impact of threats and trying to dodge verbal assaults that reduce your self-worth. Your mind becomes locked in self-defence; you are 'up in the clouds' – like the women in my illustrations - and no one can really get through to you.

Day 12: Remembering the École Polytechnique Massacre

Day 12: Remembering the École Polytechnique Massacre

Jessica Howard2017-12-19T17:25:07+00:00December 6, 2015|Gender-based violence|

Armed with a rifle, a hunting knife and a hatred of feminists, Marc Lépine walked into Montreal’s École Polytechnique on December 6, 1989.

Lépine had a clear plan when he entered the engineering school that day. He strode into a classroom and separated the male and female students, asking the men to leave.

He asked the women if they knew what was going on. “I am fighting feminism,” he told them. After one of the women tried to reason with Lépine, he started shooting.

Get Involved

Donate