WomanACT

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.

Read the announcement here

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

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.

Download the research report

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.

Read our full deputation here.

Over the last several decades, an increase in the number of dual-earner and single families across Canada has steadily risen the demand for affordable, quality childcare. Close to half (46%) of the Canadian population relies on childcare, and this number is expected to increase as more parents become dual-earners. Significantly, the availability of open, affordable child care options has not grown parallel to its demand. Across Canada, “776,000 children live in communities where at least three children are competing for one spot in a licensed daycare” (Macdonald, Friendly, 2019). Without access to child care, parents are unable to return to work and in many instances, women exit the workforce to care for children.

Canadians are in desperate need of a publicly funded and managed child care strategy that is affordable, high quality, accessible and inclusive. We think you should support the Affordable Child Care for All Plan:

Allocate $1 billion for child care transfers to the provinces and territories in the first federal budget after the 2019 federal election, adding an additional $1 billion each year to make affordable child care a reality for all by 2030;
Attach conditions to these federal transfers to ensure that the funds are used to expand not-for-profit licensed child care, make it affordable for all families, and improve its quality;
Pass federal legislation to ensure quality child care becomes and remains accessible to all families in Canada;
Work with the provinces and territories, Indigenous communities, and the child care sector, to put in place a workforce strategy to improve the wages and working conditions of the child care workforce, and to address the crisis in recruitment and retention of qualified early childhood educators.
Investments in child care are the surest way to grow the economy, promote gender equality, increase women’s labour force participation and enhance children’s well-being through quality care.

As illustrated above, nine provinces and all territories across Canada are failing to meet the average need of childcare. Without federal intervention, many families will not have access to licensed establishments and the unmet childcare need of 24.51% will continue to grow wider if left unaddressed.

Across Canada, only one province, Quebec has enough space to accommodate 50% of young people aged 0-12, surpassing the national average. Affordable, high quality childcare benefits everyone.

BENEFITS

A well-educated and trained childcare sector allows for the enhanced development of our young minds, intellectually, cognitively, socially and physically setting learning opportunities for lifelong success
An investment in childcare drives growth within two industries
The childcare sector will create new jobs to fill the need for additional or new childcare spaces
The infrastructure sector will see a significant investment into the number of expansion and new establishments projects
For parents, it allows opportunities to contribute to the economic sector, by continuing to maintain jobs while raising families and reduces their reliance or risk of reliance on social welfare. When Canadians can support themselves, they contribute into the growth of the economy

Show your support at: https://timeforchildcare.ca/about-us/

Last night we had over 75 people come out to our Annual General Meeting for our Women Vote 2019 event. We welcomed CityNews Toronto reporter Cynthia Mulligan who sat down with four women federal candidates in the upcoming election for a discussion on gender equality.

The panel was made up of:

Hannah Conover Arthurs, Green Party of Canada Davenport Candidate

Andrea Vasquez Jimenez, New Democratic Party of Canada York Centre Candidate

Jasveen Rattan, Comservative Party of Canada York South-Weston Candidate

Salma Zahid, Liberal Party of Canada Scarborough Centre Candidate

The panel discussed issues related to equal pay, childcare, gender-based violence and women in politics. The event provided an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and questions posed included “How will your government ensure budgets have a gendered lens?”, “How will your government support women in STEM fields across Canada?” and “How will your government support women living with disabilities?”

As the campaigns kick off, we ask the different parties to put equity issues at the center of the federal election. We encourage you to think about gender equality issues as you review election platforms, speak with candidates and head to the polls.

The 2019 federal election will soon be upon us and we want all federal party leaders to tell Canadians what their positions are on women’s and gender equality issues. WomanACT is proud to be a part of the Up For Debate 2019 alliance.

Up for Debate 2019 is a campaign coordinated by an alliance of women’s rights and gender equality advocates from across Canada.

The last Federal Leaders’ Debate on women’s issues in Canada was on August 14, 1984 – 35 years ago now. And yet, women, trans, non-binary, and two-spirit people in Canada still face many of the same barriers today, including:

Skyrocketing child care costs;
Persistently high rates of gender-based violence;
Lack of affordable housing;
Substantial gender wage gaps;
Precarious work and low wages;
Responsibility for the lion’s share of under or unpaid care work;
Poor and inconsistent access to abortion, contraception and other sexual rights;
Criminalization and regulation of bodily autonomy;
Lack of health, social, legal and other institutional support for women who experience or are at risk of homelessness;
Targeted violence, social and racial profiling from institutions and state actors; and
Little stability and funding for women’s organizations and social movements.

During the 2019 federal election, the Up For Debate Alliance is calling on all federal party leaders to commit to a national televised debate to share their priorities on women’s rights and gender equality. Jagmeet Singh of the NDP and Elizabeth May of the Green Party have pledged to participate, but we’re still waiting on a commitment from the Liberals, the Conservatives, and the Bloc Québécois. When it comes time to elect our next government in 2019, we want party leaders to explain how they plan to build a more equitable Canada for all.

For information on the campaign or to sign our petition, please visit https://ywcacanada.ca/upfordebate/

Incoming university and college students across Canada are excited to begin a new chapter. Many parents will lecture their children on maintaining healthy study habits, keeping their dorm rooms clean and organized, and practicing good budgeting skills. Conversations some parents may not have with these young adults are about the increased risk of sexual violence across higher education campuses.

The highest rates of sexual violence on campus occur within the first year of higher education, and the most incidents occur within the first few weeks on campus (Canadian Federation of Students, 2015). The widespread availability of technology and social media has influenced sexual and health education. Subsequently, much of this media has spread misinformation on appropriate behaviours pertaining to healthy relationships and sexual activities. This missed opportunity to educate young minds on safety in dating contributes to the rise in unhealthy relationships and dating across higher education campuses in Canada. Without parental intervention, many young people are entering this uncertain period in their lives lacking clear direction, and misinformed practices on navigating safe and healthy relationships.

Recently, the Government of Ontario has released their revised version of the sexual and healthy education curriculum. The curriculum remains largely unaltered from the release in 2015, which includes much needed topics on: consent, same-sex relationships, gender, sexuality and healthy relationships. With comprehensive sexual health education curriculum, schools are well placed to facilitate conversations among young people about gender, sexuality and choice. Education is the first step in reducing sexual violence. Ontarians must learn what actions are appropriate, and which actions are respectful towards intimate partners. With education, we will be able to reduce the cycle and pervasiveness of sexual violence and rape culture.

Canadian Federation of Students. (Spring 2015). Sexual Violence on Campus. Canadian Federation of Students. Retrieved from: https://cfs-fcee.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Sexual-Violence-on-Campus.pdf

WomanACT is proud to partner with Uber as part of Uber’s Driving Change initiative, a global commitment to support and partner with leading sexual assault and domestic violence organizations around the world. In 2017, Uber pledged $5 million to support sexual violence prevention programs, starting in the United States. This week, the initiative has expanded to include Canadian partners.

WomanACT is committed to working across sectors to create systemic change. We believe that raising awareness and engaging in national conversations on violence against women is key to getting at the root of the issue. Global movements such as “Me Too” and “TimesUp” have helped spark a global conversation on violence against women and girls, and shown just how often it is normalized. We want to build on this conversation by engaging new audiences and we see this partnership as an opportunity to reach these new audiences and raise awareness on gender-based violence.

Working alongside national and local partners, Uber’s Driving Change initiative will develop educational materials for drivers and riders and support community prevention programs. Together, we have the opportunity to reach millions of driver-partners and riders across Canada to raise awareness, prevent gender-based violence, and promote safety within the rideshare community and throughout Canada.

“Sexual assault and gender-based violence don’t belong anywhere in our communities. Helping keep people safe is a huge responsibility and one we do not take lightly. We are committed to learning from experts like WomanACT on how we can do more to prevent violence against women and to help keep people safe” – Morva Rohani, Public Policy, Uber Canada

“WomanACT is thrilled to work with Uber – bringing together community expertise with Uber’s scope and visibility will help community partners engage new audiences to raise awareness and prevent sexual and domestic violence.” – Harmy Mendoza, Executive Director, WomanACT

Find out more about Uber’s Driving Change Initiative