Gender-based violence Archives - Page 32 of 50

Be the Change You Want to See: A Q&A with Sheherazade Hirji

Be the Change You Want to See: A Q&A with Sheherazade Hirji

Canadian Women's Foundation2017-12-19T17:09:05+00:00April 21, 2016|Empowering girls, Gender-based violence, Women in media, Women’s poverty|

This interview was originally published by International Innovation.

Sheherazade Hirji, President and CEO of the Canadian Women’s Foundation, wants to put the organisation out of business – envisioning a generation of empowered women, gender equality and an end to sexual violence.

Having dedicated your career to the philanthropic sector, you are committed to helping women and girls in Canada. What led you to your present role at the Foundation?

I actually qualified as a solicitor in England first, so I’m a ‘recovering’ lawyer. I came to Canada in the 1980s and qualified again, got called to the Bar and started to work in the area of philanthropy. I very quickly found that the work I was doing with foundations resonated with my own personal values much more than law.

Michelle’s Story

Michelle’s Story

Diane Hill2016-04-07T12:47:11+00:00April 7, 2016|Gender-based violence, Impact stories, SHE Magazine, Women’s poverty|

Michelle Lochan had the passion to be an entrepreneur, but raising five children on her own made it tricky. Then she got the right kind of help. As told to Diane Hill.

When you help a woman start her own business, you affect her children too. They want to mirror her independence and they learn to trust their own decisions. Improving her self-sufficiency also means she can leave an abusive husband if necessary, because she has her own income. That is the voice I speak from.

Safe Passage: A Girl’s Journey Through Adolescence

Safe Passage: A Girl’s Journey Through Adolescence

Diane Hill2017-12-19T17:11:09+00:00March 22, 2016|Empowering girls, Gender-based violence, Sexual abuse, SHE Magazine|

In an office building not far from the bleak industrial wharves in the northern Ontario town of Thunder Bay, social worker Karen Slomke is clicking through a curious set of Powerpoint slides.

Her audience sees photos of zebras being chased by lions, cartoon illustrations of the human brain, and lots of flowcharts with coloured arrows. Though some of her slides are lighthearted, most are deadly serious. This presentation is designed to save lives.

Karen works for Children’s Centre Thunder Bay and her audience is primarily Aboriginal girls in their early teens. All have experienced physical or sexual abuse, or both. Karen recently worked with Sherry, a young teen who has been sexually assaulted four different times by four different adult men. The first assault happened when she was 12.

Say it louder: No one ever deserves violence

Say it louder: No one ever deserves violence

Keetha Mercer2017-12-19T17:12:49+00:00March 3, 2016|Gender-based violence, Sexual abuse|

This article was originally published on the Huffington Post.

Chances are you know someone who has experienced gender-based violence (GBV). 67% of all Canadians say they personally know at least one woman who has been sexually or physically assaulted - and that’s just those that have been told. Stigma and fear of not being believed are real concerns of survivors and many women avoid telling people close to them because they don’t think they will be supported.

The positive effects of having supportive people around when someone decides to share their experiences cannot be underestimated. Not only does it open up the possibility of sharing at all, it encourages survivors to seek counselling and other supports, reducing levels of depression, anxiety and PTSD, and lessening the likelihood of experiencing abuse again. If someone chooses to disclose to you, the best thing you can do is believe them, avoid judgement, put their needs first, and understand that everyone reacts differently to trauma.

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