Day 2: The High Cost of Sexual Violence

2017-12-19T17:27:28+00:00November 26, 2015|Gender-based violence, Infographics, Posters, Sexual abuse, SHE Magazine|

Woman looking awayWhen 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.

When you include the medical costs, lost productivity, and pain and suffering of victims, the cost skyrockets to $4.8 billion. The problem is huge. In a 2009 Statistics Canada survey, 472,000 people in Canada reported they had been sexually assaulted. Supports such as counselling and legal advice help survivors re-establish a sense of safety and control over their lives, and reduce the long-term collective costs.

Day 1: Violence Against Women is Not Inevitable

2017-12-19T17:27:43+00:00November 25, 2015|Gender-based violence, Sexual abuse|

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence logoToday, November 25th, is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It kicks off the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, ending on International Human Rights Day on December 10th.

Every year we take these 16 days to remember all the women and girls who have experienced gender-based violence, and commit ourselves to work together to end violence against women once and for all.

3 Reasons Seniors are Facing More Debt than Ever – and May Be Vulnerable to Abuse

2017-12-19T17:28:09+00:00November 19, 2015|Gender-based violence, Guest bloggers, Infographics|

Older womanAlmost half of retirees are in debt. While their total debt might be lower, older Canadians are accumulating debt at a faster rate than their children and grandchildren.  The question is, why this is the first generation of seniors willing to risk their retirement by taking on so much debt late in life? In truth, seniors are facing the pressure to go into debt for three main reasons.

1.       Lifestyle and Longevity

For some, debt becomes a way of funding their retirement. A small segment may be using debt to maintain a larger home rather than downsizing and travelling, but for many, debt is funding basic living expenses. A reduction in income without a healthy safety net, in terms of retirement savings or a good pension, means borrowing to pay the rent and eat. As we live longer, any savings we do have may not go far enough.

Creating Safety and Working Together For Justice in the Yukon

2017-12-19T17:28:22+00:00November 17, 2015|Gender-based violence, Guest bloggers|

Aboriginal womanUntil recently, the nature and level of care and assistance received by First Nations, Metis and Inuit women in the Yukon was “all over the map”. Due to the existence of “negative social responses” to those who report violence, many Indigenous women choose to deal with complex violent situations on their own. Together for Justice provided a forum for exploring the cross-roads of gender, race and colonialism to better understand and stop the violence against Indigenous women in the Yukon.

The Liard Aboriginal Women’s Society (LAWS) was established in the Kaska Territory as a non-profit society in 1998. What began as a small circle of women from the Kaska Nation concerned with community healing, evolved over time to developing and offering a comprehensive community transformation process.  LAWS recognized a critical need to provide opportunities for Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) members to hear from Kaska women, other community members, service providers and government agencies about violence and how it could be addressed.