Reducing stigma and improving access to women with experiences of criminalization and trauma

The Reducing Stigma project is working in partnership with Elizabeth Fry Toronto and women with lived experience of violence and criminalization to engage in systems change to improve access to services and supports.

Involvement in the criminal justice system carries stigma for women, and this can be compounded by other factors including race, sexuality, immigration status, and interlocking systems of oppression. The stigmatization of criminalization impacts a woman’s help-seeking intentions and access to services such as housing, health care, employment and services for survivors of gender-based violence.

The project is conducting community-based action research to generate evidence and develop strategies for reducing the stigma and discrimination faced by women with lived experience of violence and criminalization. Using the knowledge developed, the project will undertake community education and policy advocacy to increase knowledge and reduce the barriers to services and supports for women with experiences of trauma and criminalization.