BWSS

A determined group of women started Battered Women's Support Services in 1979. Over the years, BWSS has grown into a strong & dynamic organization. We continue to provide support & advocacy for women who have experienced abuse, as well as, training & education about violence against women. In 1992, we committed to our mandate of delivering training & professional development. In 2002, we solidified our work as social entrepreneurs when we opened My Sister's Closet Thrift Boutique & our second location in 2007. In 2008, we re-envisioned our mandate of systemic advocacy & law reform. As part of the feminist anti-violence movement, our long-term goal is the elimination of all violence against women. In 2010, we launched The Violence Stops Here Campaign urging men to own their role in ending violence against women. After retiring our Dating Violence Program in 2007 we have launch Youth Engagement in Violence Prevention in 2010. We serve over 8,000 women, deliver over training and professional development to over 350 professionals each year.

Download our manual "Empowering Non-Status, Refugee, and Immigrant Women Who Experience Violence"

Addressing Violence Against Aboriginal Women

In Canada, Aboriginal women are five times more likely than other women to die as a result of violence, and the numbers of Aboriginal women who are currently missing are staggering. This problem is not localized to one civic or provincial region, but is spread across the country; there are reports that more than 580 Aboriginal women are known to be either missing or murdered currently in Canada (NWAC 2008).

In response to this crisis, many non-government organizations are conducting research and spreading awareness both nationally an internationally such as the Amnesty International Stolen Sisters (2004) and No More Stolen Sisters (2009) reports. Addressing Violence Against Aboriginal Women written by Jamie Cooper and Tanisha Salomons for Battered Women’s Support Services contains a comprehensive annotated bibliography of structural and causative literature and police investigations.

Recommendations:

Battered Women’s Support Services calls for anti-violence services rooted in historical understandings of colonial violence and informed by Aboriginal women.

Native Women’s Association of Canada calls for Reduction of Violence, Reduction of Poverty, Reduction of Homelessness and Access to Housing, Improved Access to Justice.

2006 Highway of Tears Symposium calls for Victim Prevention, Community Development and Support, Emergency Planning and Response, Victim Family and Counselling Support.

Violence Against Non Status, Refugee and Immigrant Women

Battered Women’s Support Services’ has embarked on several initiatives to facilitate change in our communities and to end violence against women. Empowering Non-Status, Refugee and Immigrant Women (NSRIW) Who Experience Violence – A woman-centred approach to managing the spectrum of needs from settlement to empowerment manual is one of them. Though not meant to be conclusive, it is written as an exploration of ideas, to present recurring issues and to critique existing practices. It has been developed to help frame and define a woman-centred approach to meeting the challenges faced by community workers and the NSRIW who access services.

The need for a response to violence against NSRIW is timely as representation from these communities continues to grow in almost every village, town and city in Canada. This resource manual recognizes that principles, practices and tools that reflect the diversity of communities can lead to better practices when working with NSRIW who experience violence in their intimate relationship. The women-centred approach comes from a desire to end oppression against women at a personal and societal level. Insufficient operating funding, limited and/or non-specialized training for community workers, lack of resources for organizational development, a strong local focus and lack of connections between agencies are some of the obstacles facing community organizations working with NSRIW.

All of these obstacles compromise a feminist vision when working with NSRIW. The feminist vision proposes that inequality, abuse of power and domination of women are the seeds of violence.

It is women-centred solutions, strong anti-oppression practice and feminist values that forge a bond among community workers striving to overcome barriers for women experiencing violence in an intimate relationship. The tools, analysis and practical solutions included in this manual support community workers on the journey to work from a more inclusive anti-oppressive practice.

As you read this manual we hope the information presented here will add discussions occurring in your communities and organizations. We are interested and eager participate in your dialogue so please share your comments and questions.

Women who experience violence in their intimate relationships are often navigating several areas of the law simultaneously.

At Battered Women’s Support Services we provide legal advocacy to assist women to navigate through the legal systems, by assisting women identify legal issues, prioritize legal needs, choose realistic, fair, and legal solutions, providing information on process, legislation, and the role of different players, assisting women to access lawyers or pro bono legal advice, assisting women strategize to build their case and assisting women tips for their own legal research and self advocacy.

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