As my mom grasped the phone to check her app, the only thing on her mind was to check in on a friend that was miles away. Innovations in technology have made it so that my mother, and perhaps, many other women, now feel empowered by connections developed in virtual spaces during this novel time. As I reflect on my experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, I can’t help but think that it has forced me to explore some good that lies in social distancing and help me to feel grateful that I live in a digital age.
Staying in Touch: A Feminist Approach
The social distancing measures during the pandemic have changed my perceptions of the word “community” and “connection.” Women often bond over common hardships and obstacles, which in this case is the COVID-19 pandemic. We are all experiencing similar hardships to a certain degree. Studies corroborate with this notion as well. According Staeheli (2003), women use the concept of community to establish common ground and shared experiences that help them overcome hardship.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, having close physical proximity did, in many ways, offer women bonds and strength within their respective communities. During these troubled times, however, technology has allowed us to know that there are universal feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, fear, stress, and loneliness. This allows us to witness the transformative power of emotional connection. It is possible women across communities feel a sense of comfort in knowing they are not alone and that they belong to more communities and networks than they realize.
The Ever-Expanding Role of Technology
I understand that there are many counter-arguments on the impact of technology on our well-being. However, I don’t necessarily think we have many other options. We need technology during this time and we need to find ways to ensure we are comfortable with using technology to connect. We have to ensure we physically distance, not emotionally disconnect. This emotional connection is the engagement we have with the user behind the screen, not with the device.
Much of our aspects of life have been shifted to online. With the right amount of online safety training and digital literacy, women can feel more confident using digital spaces to seek help. Women use social media, online chat and text services, virtual girls’ programming to stay connected. Through efforts to encourage women’s digital usage, not only could we further emotional connection post-COVID-19, but there is potential for women to bolster their economic security, enhance their autonomy and safety.
While my daily screen time has never been higher, as a young woman I find myself using technology in a positive and meaningful way. As a result of staying in touch with friends and family members, writing letters to vulnerable populations, and providing peer support clients online, I am experiencing a feeling of interconnectedness differently than before. While this experience may or may not resonate with you, I think it is an opportunity to reflect and discuss the role of technology in keeping women connected.
Staeheli, L.A. (2003). Women and the Work of Community. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 35(5), 815–831.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the housing challenges and crisis that exists. Housing remains one of the top barriers faced by women experiencing violence and the services that support them. Violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness and housing instability among women and their dependent children. It can lead to devastating impacts on a woman’s economic security, preventing them from leaving abusive situations because they are unable to secure safe and affordable housing. The Violence against Women sector in Toronto has experienced an increase in demand in the needs for services and supports by survivors during the pandemic.
We strongly believe that pandemic recovery housing strategies must adopt an intersectional gender approach. We also need to see collaboration across all three levels of government in addressing the housing needs. We support the City of Toronto’s Housing and People Action Plan and the COVID-19 Interim Shelter Recovery Strategy and want to see long term, affordable and permanent housing solutions for women fleeing violence across the City.
We also welcome the recommendation that SSHA and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services collaborate to coordinate approaches to serving women and their children fleeing domestic violence, including coordination between the VAW system and the City-operated housing opportunities. Over the last 6 months, the violence against women sector has collectively and rapidly mobilized to adapt to emerging issues and needs. We have embraced change and used this time to reflect on how we can do things differently and better serve women experiencing violence from diverse communities with housing insecurity. We must start implementing measures and solutions that address women’s housing needs in the long term to provide safety and stability.
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Women and communities of gender diverse people have complicated relationships with social media. We always have. Social media is often a tool enabling violence online – used by perpetrators to control victims directly on social media or by controlling how and when social media and technology is accessed.
But sometimes social media can be empowering – bringing likeminded and similarly-experienced communities together. Communities can share resources, promote and celebrate each other’s successes, and bring to light the issues that matter most. During the time of COVID-19, one of many issues that is top of mind for me is the increase of gender based violence, as women and gender diverse people are trapped with abusers in violent spaces; as individuals cannot seek out the resources in person that they typically would; as communities cannot physically be in each other’s comfort. But, there is hope.
As the world has grown exponentially more reliant on technology and digital spaces through the last few months of this pandemic, survivors have found ways to support each other through COVID-19. While technology is not accessible to all, and that is a conversation that requires great exploration and understanding, I am grateful for the way communities of survivors have resiliently leveraged technology to be in our favour during COVID-19.
This includes the increase of accessible physical wellbeing resources that give folks free tools to take care of their physical health within their own comfort, away from spaces that may be uncomfortable or triggering. Examples include Zoom exercise classes, meditation and YouTube channels. Secondly, countless women’s organizations have pivoted their programming to be entirely online, providing counselling and workshops virtually. Survivors are also creating their own community care circles – kind of like pseudo group therapy that replaces the in person meet-ups a lot of us had – for their own networks; some might be created on Facebook and be more informal, while others feature guest speakers in official Zoom events. A popular hand signal created by the Canadian Women’s Foundation (https://bit.ly/2YWFGnN) has allowed people facing violence to let others know to check up on them. These are just some of the examples that I’ve seen.
As the months go by, one thing has been clear for me, and that is that survivors of violence have always been resilient and will continue to be that way – pandemic, or no pandemic.
Today we celebrated International Women’s Day at the Keele Community Hub with our York South-Weston Community.
Caring for our Communities, Caring for Ourselves focused on the importance of non-profits in our community. The event was kicked off by local MP Ahmed Hussen who welcomed everyone to the event and spoke to the importance of celebrating International Women’s Day as well as further advancing policy and programs that support women in our communities.
We then hosted a panel discussion on decent work for women in non-profits with speakers discussing the importance of workers’ rights, diversity on boards and valuing women’s work.
The event had a turn out of over 50 local agencies and community members from across York South-Weston.
Yesterday the Violence against Women Coordinating Committee held a training event on how to become a trauma informed organization.
The event welcomed 62 participants representing 38 organizations from across the city of Toronto.
The event heard from Dr. Ramona Allagia, from Factor-Interwash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto and Dr. Sarah Morton, Director of Matter of Focus and Honorary Fellow at the University of Edinburgh.
Dr. Sarah Morton spoke to the challenges of capturing outcomes across our sector and telling stories and having numbers to share impact. Dr Morton also shared information on OutNav, software to help organizations manage their evaluation and outcomes and demonstrate impact.
The event also welcomed speakers from Elizabeth Fry Toronto, YWCA Toronto, Toronto Harbour Light and the Child Development Institute.
We are excited to share that our research partners at the University of Guelph have won the The SciShops Pitch Challenge for our community-based approach to our financial abuse research!
The SciShops Pitch Challenge competition invited projects from from Europe and across the globe to develop a short video on their research project. The contest was looking at projects that demonstrated community need, partnership and impact.
Our two community-based researchers, Brianna Wilson and Sonia Zawitkowski, were selected as winners for their work on our Financial Abuse as a form of Intimate Partner Violence project. Brianna and Sonia are MA students at the Research Facility for Women’s Health and Wellbeing in the Department of Psychology at the University of Guelph. WomanACT worked closely with Brianna, Sonia and Dr. Paula Barata to design, develop and implement a community-based research project in 2018.
Sonia and Brianna won a trip to the SciShops Symposium on 30th – 31st of January to present their video and discuss our community-based research project with fellow participants. The Symposium is an opportunity for researchers to come together and share knowledge and information on community-based participatory research.
WomanACT is excited to share that we have received funding from The Law Foundation of Ontario to undertake research to explore how women experiencing violence use technology to access legal help and support.
The research base into technology as a means to perpetrate violence against women has grown, however, there is a scarcity of information on how technology supports women experiencing violence. Online resources and supports have popped up across sectors including public legal education. As part of developing a more accessible justice system, it is important to understand if and how technology supports survivors.
The project will conduct a literature review to explore the existing knowledge base on violence against women, technology and access to justice. The project will also conduct community-based research with survivors to better understand their experiences and ideas for how technology to help women find legal information, help and support. Using the knowledge gained, we will bring together survivors and key stakeholders – including anti-violence agencies, public legal education providers, lawyers, tech developers – to develop potential solutions and create recommendations to address barriers to justice.
Learn more about the project here.
Last night we came together to celebrate frontline sectoring working across the City to end violence against women. The Soul of a Warrior Awards recognizes front-line staff for their hard work and commitment to improving the lives of women and children experiencing violence.
We are excited to announce the 2019 winners:
Jaskaranjit Grewal of Malton Neighbourhood Services, Dedication Award Recipient 
Jennifer Olivierrie of Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke, Innovation & Creativity Award Recipient 
Mahbooba Hashimi of Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke, Partnership Award Recipient 
Munice Wright of Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke, Dedication Award Recipient 
Nicola Smith of Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter, Leadership Award Recipient 
Zahra Bolouk of Sistering, Partnership Award Recipient
The anti-violence sector works tirelessly to advocate for the rights and safety of those impacted by violence. It is important that we take time to pause, reflect and celebrate. Thank you to everyone who joined us for the evening of celebration and dancing.
We are excited to publish our new research into financial abuse as a form of intimae partner violence in the Toronto area: Hidden in the Everyday.
Over the last 18 months, WomanACT has been working with the University of Guelph to explore women’s experiences of financial abuse in the Toronto area. Hidden in the Everyday draws on qualitative data gathered through surveys and focus groups with service providers and in-depth interviews with survivors. Our research spoke to survivors and service providers about their experiences and impacts of financial abuse as well as the challenges in confronting it and the opportunities to prevent and address it.
Our research found that financial abuse is common, difficult to identify, often accompanied by other forms of abuse and can continue even after the relationship has ended. Our research has also made key recommendations to further the exploration, prevention and response to financial abuse. Our research recommendations include:
- More research and data on financial abuse as a form of intimate partner violence in Canada;
- Increase awareness of financial abuse;
- Develop targeted policies, programs and practices that provide financial services and support for survivors.
This week, WomanACT spoke to City Council about the critical importance of a city-wide Gender Equity Strategy and Gender Equality Office at the City of Toronto. While we commend the City of Toronto for undertaking initiatives such as the gender equity tool or applying a gender analysis to strategies such as the Toronto Poverty Reduction Strategy and HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan, we know there is more to do. We know that in order to reduce inequities faced by women, girls, trans and non-binary people across the city, we need to apply an intersectional gender framework and gender-responsive budgeting process to all policy and programmatic areas.
Gender inequities still persist in Toronto. Women, girls, trans and non-binary individuals face higher rates of violence and continue to be murdered by their partners and ex-partners at a substantially higher rate than men. Women are more likely to be unemployed, in precarious work and still make less money than their male counterparts. And yet, they make up 52% of the population. The experience of being a Torontonian is indeed gendered and these experiences are further impacted by race, immigration status, disability, sexuality and socio-economic status.
We hope that the City of Toronto will demonstrate its commitment to women’s safety and gender equality.