Day 4: Leave? Easier Said Than Done
It’s one thing to come to terms with being in an abusive relationship.
It’s another to find a safe way out of that relationship when you have five young children.
For Christina*, who shared her story with SHE magazine, it required a huge leap over a chasm of uncertainties. There were safety, financial, legal, and emotional issues to consider as she tried to get through each day.
How can I end our marriage? What if he comes after me? How will I support the children? What if they miss their dad?
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.
Almost 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.
I never used to be what you’d call an outspoken person. In high school, when my English teacher suggested I read one of my poems aloud in class, I said, “No way!” Early in my career I wrote a well-received research report, but at the press conference I actually hid behind a colleague. At dinner parties, I dreaded the prospect of someone raising a controversial subject. I had strong opinions, but not the nerve to say them out loud.
