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The pandemic and the associated rise in domestic violence emphasize the need for systemic solutions to end gender-based violence (GBV). In this edition, we explore whether the 2022 federal budget provides any sustainable systemic solutions for GBV, provide an update on Kiera’s Law, which could be one promising part of systemic change, and share several exciting upcoming events and projects.
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Technology Safety Canada
WSC is thrilled to announce our new Technology Safety Canada project! This project will equip shelter and transition house workers with the knowledge and resources you need to support women, children, and gender-diverse people with their experiences of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV). By scaling up BC Society of Transition Houses’ (BCSTH) existing Technology Safety Project, the Technology Safety Canada project will involve the adaptation and creation of toolkits, trainings for shelter staff across the country, and working with telecommunication companies to address tech safety. Stay tuned for more updates!
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Coming Soon: Online Library of Promising Shelter Practices
WSC will be launching an online library of promising shelter practices in Fall 2022. This online library will facilitate the exchange of promising practices within the shelter sector by identifying, collecting, and sharing promising practices developed by shelters across Canada. WSC Associate Member shelters will be able to add their practices to the library, download information to help them replicate or adapt other practices, endorse the practices on the site, and share feedback with each other. We will work with an advisory committee to develop the library.
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Story Time: How Did You Use Your COVID-19 Federal Funds?
The WSC Grants Team has been hard at work approving all Round 2 applications for the Response and Recovery COVID-19 Funding. Funds for the 2022-2023 fiscal year are now flowing! Now, we would love to know how you’re using these funds. If you have a story to share publicly about how these funds have been useful to your organization and those you serve, please email the WSC Grants Team at grants@endvaw.ca.
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Federal Budget
2022
Federal Budget 2022 was a departure from previous budgets. It saw a large reduction in spending, which was not reflective of actual needs. Neither was it a feminist budget. In fact, gender was mentioned a mere 18 times in the 2022 budget, compared to 750 times in the 2021 budget. If you are interested in a more detailed feminist analysis of the Federal Budget, check out the recording of How Feminist is the Federal Budget?, a panel co-hosted by the Canadian Women’s Foundation and Oxfam Canada and featuring WSC’s executive director, Lise Martin.
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An Update on Keira’s Law
On April 29, 2022, the House of Commons congregated for a second reading of Member of Parliament Anju Dhillon’s Private Member’s Bill C-233, which includes Keira’s Law on domestic violence and coercive control. In the lead up to April 29, WSC called on our community of shelters and transition houses to champion the Bill. A huge thank you to everyone who emailed their MPs, signed the parliamentary petition, and/or participated in our Keira’s Law Twitter storm to push for this important legislation! Violence against women is a non-partisan issue and so we were delighted to see unanimous support in the House of Commons to move Bill C-233 forward. To find out more about the importance of Keira’s Law and how to support it, check out our newest blog.
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Update on the “More Than” campaign
In January, WSC launched a national awareness campaign illustrating how VAW shelters and transition houses are “More Than” shelter. We’ve released a series of powerful materials, from a PSA to a variety of informational content, and have been thrilled to roll out our latest chapter in partnership with our Associate Member shelters. These shelters were given the opportunity to customize one of the campaign’s static assets for their own shelter or transition house’s marketing and awareness-raising needs. Stay tuned for more updates as we enter the concluding phase of the campaign over the next couple of months. Also be sure to check out the new, 30-second version of the PSA here and don’t forget to tag @endvawnetwork when sharing on social media!
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Applications Opening Soon: Community of Practice on Harm Reduction & Lowering Barriers
Applications will open soon for WSC’s new Community of Practice on Harm Reduction and Lowering Barriers! This Community of Practice will bring together shelters and transition houses working to adopt a harm reduction model and reduce barriers to service so that they can work together and learn from each other along this journey. More details about this opportunity are available on our website.
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Survey for WSC’s Feminist Brain Drain Study
WSC recently launched its Feminist Brain Drain study to look at labour issues across the sector. To collect information on these issues, we are collaborating with the Victimology Research Centre at Algonquin College on their national study on the well-being of service providers and volunteers working with victims and survivors of crime in Canada. Every staff member of your organization can participate in the survey. It will take approximately 25-30 minutes. To thank you for your participation in this important research, the Victimology Research Centre is offering a $10 gift certificate to participants, which you can request by emailing vrc@algonquincollege.com. If you would like more information about the Feminist Brain Drain project or would like to be more involved in this research, reach out to Robyn at rhoogendam@endvaw.ca.
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A Conversation with Anna Maria Tremonti and Eternity Martis
Thursday, June 23, 2022, 1-2:30pm ET / 10-11:30am PT
Join WSC, the Canadian Women’s Foundation, and YWCA Canada for a Zoom dialogue between journalists and intimate partner violence survivors Anna Maria Tremonti and Eternity Martis. WSC’s executive director, Lise Martin, will join the conversation near the end of this bilingual event to answer your questions. You can learn more about Tremonti and Martis’ stories in the What We’ve Enjoyed section at the end of this newsletter. Simultaneous interpretation and ASL/LSQ will be available. Spread the word!
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 Inside the Fight for Survivors Facing Gender-Based and Intimate Partner Violence |
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 Blog Post on WSC’s Participation in the Mass Casualty Commission |
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Overwhelmed and underfunded
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Resources We Like
Webinar on Vicarious Trauma - An Indigenous Perspective: Cultural Strengths as the Roots of Resilience for Healing Trauma and Building Worker Wellness.
This webinar recording explores vicarious trauma from an Indigenous perspective. Watch it to learn more about Culturally Trauma-Informed Approaches as a strategy to support the wellness of Indigenous helpers.
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What We've Enjoyed!
In preparation for the June 23 event mentioned above, we’ve been reading They Said This Would Be Fun: Race, Campus Life, and Growing Up by Eternity Martis and listening to Anna-Maria Tremonti’s podcast, Welcome to Paradise. Martis’ book is a powerful memoir about her experience as a student of colour on a predominantly white campus. Tremonti’s podcast shares her experience of intimate partner violence after forty years of keeping it secret from friends and family.
We hope you will enjoy reading the book and listening to the podcast!
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