Designed to build organizational capacity, this guide draws on principles of anti-racist, anti-oppressive (ARAO), and trauma-informed practice (TIP) to create a supportive organizational framework for those working in the gender-based violence (GBV) sector and related fields.

This guide outlines how a holistic approach can best support the needs of racialized survivors of GBV.

Designed with service providers in mind, this guide draws on anti-racist, anti-oppressive (ARAO), and trauma-informed practice (TIP) principles to provide a framework to support those in the gender-based violence (GBV) and related sectors to create more inclusive support systems for diverse communities of survivors.

This resource highlights the need for ARAO practices that integrate a trauma-informed approach, detailing key principles such as recognizing social differences, understanding power dynamics, and incorporating decolonizing efforts. It highlights why trauma-informed care principles are crucial to addressing the holistic needs of Racialized survivors and considers how different forms of oppression and trauma can intersect. The guide also offers practical tools and reflective exercises for frontline professionals.

Indigenous, Black and Racialized women face unique, intersecting, and compounding forms of gender and racial discrimination that impact their employment opportunities and experiences in the workplace.

This brief provides an overview of the structural and individual dimensions of gender and racial discrimination and how this intersection impacts the opportunities and experiences of Indigenous, Black, and Racialized women in Canadian workplaces. Additionally, it spotlights the intersection of gender-based violence in the workplace.

Survivors shared their challenges navigating the legal system on their journey to safety and stability throughout the pandemic in research conducted by WomanACT and University of Guelph. The infographic looks at the supports requested by the survivors to help them navigate the legal system better.

Survivors shared their challenges navigating the legal system on their journey to safety and stability throughout the pandemic in research conducted by WomanACT and University of Guelph. The infographic looks at the number of legal factors survivors must account for.

As women age, they are more likely to be living in poverty than men. This disparity is due to several factors, including the gender wage gap and women being more likely to experience career disruptions, such as caring for loved ones. These factors contribute to a lack of personal income and savings available to women over the age of 55 and older. Older women may experience additional barriers to economic security in later life due to their experiences of gender-based violence, including economic abuse and employment sabotage.   

This project will raise awareness of the financial and social needs of women over the age of 55. Through collaboration with key stakeholders, including older women with lived experience and community agencies, the project will develop and deliver education and capacity building to improve awareness of family violence and intimate partner violence among different populations of older women. 

In Canada, one in three women report experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime, and data suggest that rates of IPV are as high if not higher among transgender and/or non-binary individuals compared to their cisgender counterparts. 

Survivors of IPV often seek counselling or psychotherapy to cope with the psychological costs of the abuse. However, many psychotherapists lack training in how to effectively respond to IPV, which can lead to survivors feeling unsupported and invalidated while abuse dynamics go undetected and unaddressed. 

Our research in partnership with the University of Toronto aims to investigate the experiences of survivors who have sought psychotherapy and/or counselling services for a mental health concern in Ontario. We will focus on the experiences of cisgender women, non-binary, and transgender adults over the age of 18. This community-based qualitative research will explore survivors’ subjective perceptions of counselling and/or psychotherapy, including the process of accessing services, participating in the therapeutic relationship, and the overall consequences for their mental health. The findings will inform policy initiatives and bolster training for mental health professionals to better meet the needs of this high-risk population. 

While trauma-informed practices have become more widely used across social services, the recognition of intersecting trauma and the integration of anti-racism remains a gap within and across sectors. Trauma from gender-based violence, community violence, and racism are compounded, and discrimination and fear of discrimination can be a barrier to accessing services. 

This project will enhance the capacity of organizations to respond to the needs of racialized women survivors of gender-based violence who are experiencing racism and trauma, by offering culturally safe frontline services. The project will collaborate with stakeholders to incorporate principles of anti-racism and trauma-informed practice, thereby improving service delivery and access for racialized survivors.

Housing is critical to survivors’ safety, and there are opportunities for housing providers and landlords to develop policies and practices to protect the tenancies and safety of survivors.

Survivors’ experiences with landlords and private rental housing are examined in this infographic, along with their preferred safety solutions. 

How can rental housing work better for survivors? Gender-based violence is a common cause of homelessness among women and gender-diverse people in Toronto and survivors face unique challenges to housing. 

This research report examines what it takes to support survivors as successful renters. The report contains findings from community-based research undertaken with women and gender-diverse people who have experienced gender-based violence and currently live in or are trying to access private rental housing in Toronto. The report shares their experiences and unique challenges to housing, including hidden homelessness, discrimination from landlords, and income insecurity.