Day 14: How Shelters Help Women Make a Difficult Leap
When a woman finds herself in a violent relationship, leaving is not as simple as many would think. Does she have a safe place to go if she leaves? Will her abuser retaliate? If she has children, how will she navigate the family court system? These questions, and more, make a difficult decision all the more grueling.
On top of the emotional stress, it’s a challenge for many women who leave their abusers to find affordable housing. Across Canada, housing prices have been steadily rising, with experts sounding alarms over a severe shortage of affordable housing to buy or rent. Many women face a difficult choice between living with violence and living in poverty.
When a woman is sexually assaulted, the impact on her life can last for years, and the trauma can affect her education, employment, and long-term well-being. Society pays, too. In Canada, the annual costs of sexual assault and related offences for the criminal justice system, social services, and employers add up to an estimated $200 million, according to the Department of Justice.
Someone helps you with your homework or offers to give you a ride home. You accept. You thank them. You’re texting back and forth, maybe flirting, maybe sending photos of yourself, and you get the sense that they want more. Even though you only wanted the homework help, or the ride, or the sexting, the person feels entitled to your body. And you’re not sure whether they might be right.
When oil prices collapsed last year, the Canadian economy took a hit after a slow recovery from the 2008 recession. In Alberta, one of the hardest-hit provinces, some sectors have seen rounds of layoffs and self-employment has risen.
