How to help your teen recognize unhealthy online relationships

2017-12-19T17:38:26+00:00August 12, 2015|Empowering girls, Gender-based violence, How to|

Teens taking selfieFor anyone who knows a teenager, it won’t come as a shock that one quarter of kids age 13 to 17 are online “almost constantly.”

A lot of that time is spent communicating with friends and peers: texting, Instagramming and Snapchatting. And for parents, a lot of that communication goes unseen and unheard.

Although parents can’t possibly monitor all of their children’s online interactions, they can help set the tone for healthy online relationships.

Finding Body Confidence and Living Life Out Loud

2017-12-19T17:38:39+00:00August 10, 2015|Empowering girls, Guest bloggers, Women in media|

Woman reflectingMost mornings, I look in my bathroom mirror and say, “I’m a big bright burning star and I’m gonna shine forever!” The reality is some mornings I may not believe it but I say it anyway. It’s my chance to cloak myself in love and assurance before I walk into the world, playing the leading role in my one-woman show. Even when I’m uncertain, channeling confidence and taking informed risks inspires me to live boldly.

That’s my body confidence.

What the Hashtag: #WhatHappenedToSandraBland & #TheEmptyChair

2017-12-19T17:39:38+00:00August 4, 2015|What the Hashtag|

Woman with thought bubbleWhile in May feminists delighted in the schadenfreude of #HowToSpotAFeminist and in June many celebrated the legalization of gay marriage in the US with #LoveWins, July’s online activism took a somber turn.

Last month, #WhatHappenedToSandraBland brought attention to the disturbing death of #BlackLivesMatter activist Sandra Bland.

Stopped for a minor traffic violation in Texas and found dead in police custody days later, Bland’s death has raised awareness and questions about state violence, institutionalized racism, the vulnerable bodies of black women, and the dangers of “driving while black”.

Sex-trafficking Roundtable: A First for Atlantic Canada

2023-05-29T19:09:37+00:00July 21, 2015|Gender-based violence, Human trafficking, Sexual abuse|

Denise John speaks at sex-trafficking roundtable (Photo: Denise John, Victim Support Navigator at the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre in Halifax, was one of the participants at the Canadian Women’s Foundation’s recent roundtable discussion on sex trafficking.)

Windsor, Nova Scotia, is known as the “birthplace of hockey” and is famous for its giant pumpkins. The population of the town, which is an hour from Halifax, is around 3,700.

When veteran officer Luc Côté got stationed at the Windsor RCMP detachment in April, it was “a bit shocking” to learn his colleagues were working on a sex-trafficking case.