We’ve created 31 Actions for Gender Justice to raise awareness, spark conversations and take action that transforms gender and power relations, and the structures, norms and values that underpin them. Every day for the month of March we will highlight an action that advances gender equity and justice for International Women’s Day (IWD).

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31 Actions for Gender Justice: Day 10

In 1979, a determined team of women founded Battered Women’s Support Services to advocate for gender justice and fight to end violence against women. Today, 42 years later, BWSS is still standing up for women and fighting for women’s right to live free from physical, emotional, verbal, sexual abuse.

The most pervasive form of violence against women is intimate partner violence. Many countries have reported that this form of violence has dramatically increased during COVID-19[1]. And Canada isn’t the exception.

Our staff and volunteers have answered an unprecedented number of calls and service requests during the pandemic. We work tirelessly to help women and their children flee abusive relationships and access critical services to improve the quality of their lives.

But we can’t do this work alone.

How can you help? These are a few ideas: spread the word and share information about our programs and prevention education, organize a birthday fundraiser to support our programs, shop at My Sister’s Closet, volunteer with us, donate –every dollar counts-,

With your help, BWSS can continue working on advancing gender justice by amplifying intersectional feminist voices; promoting decolonization of structures and institutions that oppress marginalized groups; eliminating all forms of violence against women; demanding justice for indigenous women and removing structural barriers to women’s economic empowerment; providing education and training about gender-based violence; supporting survivors and facilitating support groups; providing other programs to help women and their children who are experiencing or have experienced abuse.

Every day, many women turn to BWSS to seek help with creating a plan to leave abusive relationships, finding safe shelter after fleeing violence, access to legal aid, emotional support, counselling, employment.

Every day, we walk alongside women, supporting them on their healing journey, amplifying voices and resilience.

There are different ways you can join our efforts, from sharing about our work with your network to making a donation. Will you join us?

Donate: Give a gift of safety. Every dollar counts.

Volunteer: An opportunity to help women in our community and, at the same time, learn valuable skills.

Shop: My Sister’s Closet is our social enterprise. We have 2 brick-and-mortar shops and an online shop:

East Vancouver- 1830 Commercial Drive- Monday to Sunday | 11am-6pm

Downtown Vancouver- 1092 Seymour Street open for walk-ins Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, & Sunday | 11am-6pm

Online store: https://mysistersclosetvancouver.shop/

Follow us: Our social media

My Sister’s Closet: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter

Battered Women’s’ Support Services: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter

Learn: Browse our resource collection.

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[1]Devastatingly pervasive: 1 in 3 women globally experience violence, 2021. World Health Organization (WHO) Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news/item/09-03-2021-devastatingly-pervasive-1-in-3-women-globally-experience-violence

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