An Oasis of Friendship and Safety

2016-05-26T12:48:18+00:00May 26, 2016|Gender-based violence, Impact stories, Sexual abuse, SHE Magazine|

Paper chain of women holding handsWomen with intellectual disabilities are twice as likely to be sexually or physically abused, but most violence prevention programs don’t meet their special needs.

Thanks to a grant from the Canadian Women’s Foundation, a program called Safety Includes Me has been launched by Community Living Toronto. The program is designed for women with intellectual disabilities who live on their own without family or other social supports.

During the six-week program, the women learn how to identify healthy relationships, refuse unwanted attention, and practice safe sex. They also learn basic self-defence, plus tips for staying safe at home, on the street, on public transit, and online.

Barriers Ahead: Violence Against Women with Disabilities

2017-12-19T17:03:11+00:00May 25, 2016|Gender-based violence, Infographics, Sexual abuse, SHE Magazine|

Woman thinking“How can you let someone treat you that way?

“Why don’t you report it?”

“Why don’t you just leave him?”

There’s a tendency for people to assume that women should be able to just get up and leave abusive relationships, or that reporting the abuse will immediately put an end to the situation, but it isn’t that easy.

Bringing Violence Prevention to the North

2017-12-19T17:03:39+00:00May 19, 2016|Empowering girls, Gender-based violence, Impact stories, Sexual abuse, SHE Magazine|

Girl smilingIn a classroom in the South Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, students leave their books and desks to one side, gathering in a circle in the middle of the room.

They are about to begin a warm-up exercise as part of the Healthy Relationships Plus program developed by the Fourth R, a violence-prevention organization based in London, ON. The Fourth R’s healthy relationships curriculum is already offered in 5,000 schools across Canada. Now, funding from the Canadian Women’s Foundation is helping expand the program into schools in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.