No relationship is perfect, but healthy intimate partner relationships make both people feel respected, supported, and safe. Healthy relationships are characterized by mutual respect, trust, equality and honesty. 

Here are some of the characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships.

Navigating today’s world is challenging, with uncertain and failing political systems, economic disparity, daily injustices and persistent inequality, while gender-based violence remains an epidemic.

Yet, women continue to stand strong on the frontlines, taking action to achieve equity and resist oppression. During International Women’s Day Week, we celebrate and recognize the beautifully diverse women in communities around the world. Every year, people come together to honour women’s achievements and advance the fight for gender equality on the global agenda.

At Battered Women’s Support Services (BWSS), we continue to strengthen community collaborations, raise awareness, and mobilize efforts to end gender-based violence while supporting and celebrating women.

We invite you to join us for International Women’s Day celebration events to honour women!

Workout for Women’s Day 2025

This International Women’s Day week, join us for Workout for Women’s Day, hosted by Stronger Together Vancouver. This heartfelt initiative brings communities together to raise $15,000 for Synchronicity: BWSS’s Second-Stage Transition House Program. Your donation will support the environment where women and children are rebuilding their lives after experiencing violence. From March 3rd to 9th, local instructors will lead various inspiring movement and workout classes. With every step, stretch, and breath, you’ll help provide ten women and their children with ongoing support in a safe place to land, heal, and thrive.

DATE: From Monday, March 3 to Sunday, March 9
TIME & LOCATION: Times and Locations May Vary

DEWC Herstory – Fundraising Gala

Join DEWC for their 9th Annual Gala, Herstory, raising awareness and support for DEWC services while celebrating the strength and power of the women they serve. A night of inspirational speakers, breathtaking performances, and as the highlight of the evening, women of the community performing their signature fashion show (with My Sister’s Closet sponsored eco-thrift fashions), an expression of their personal style and power.

DATE: Tuesday March 4
TIME: Reception at 6:00 PM – Event begins at 6:30 PM
LOCATION: D/6 Bar & Lounge @ Parq Casino, Vancouver

West Coast LEAF’s Annual 26th Equality Breakfast

The Equality Breakfast brings together community members, friends, advocates, and activists with a shared passion for gender justice. Join us as we celebrate International Women’s Day and their 40th anniversary with award-winning journalist and bestselling author, Naomi Klein and the Magik Moments Photo Booth.

DATE: Friday, March 7
TIME: 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Doors at 6:30 AM)
LOCATION: Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

International Women’s Day March Vancouver

International Women’s Day March Vancouver works to celebrate, amplify, and fight alongside the diversity of women in our community to achieve equity and create awareness of issues self-identifying women in Vancouver face.

DATE: Saturday, March 8
TIME: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
LOCATION: Vancouver Art Gallery

Access to $10-a-day child care is a critical lifeline for women fleeing violence, providing the stability they need to rebuild their lives while ensuring their children’s safety and well-being. As advocates call for a dedicated task force to advance affordable child care in British Columbia, it is essential to recognize its role in supporting survivors, fostering economic independence, and breaking cycles of violence.

Read the Media Release: Child Care Advocates Call for B.C. Task Force on $10aDay Child Care Expansion.

Affordable child care reduces a major financial barrier that often prevents women from leaving abusive relationships, as many survivors face economic insecurity and limited access to stable employment. With low-cost child care, women can pursue work, education, or training opportunities, increasing their financial independence and long-term stability.

Access to child care also allows women to attend counselling, legal appointments, and support services that are critical in the transition to a life free from violence. For many, the lack of affordable and reliable child care creates an additional layer of vulnerability, making it more difficult to secure housing, maintain employment, or participate in community-based support networks.

Children who have experienced or witnessed violence benefit from access to high-quality child care programs that provide stability, social development, and early learning opportunities in a safe and nurturing environment. This helps to mitigate some of the negative impacts of exposure to violence, supporting both their emotional and cognitive development.

For women facing intersecting barriers such as poverty, racial discrimination, or disability, $10-a-day child care plays a crucial role in improving access to essential services and resources. It ensures that child care is not a privilege reserved for those with higher incomes, but a right that supports the safety and empowerment of all families, including those escaping violence.

When a woman makes the courageous decision to leave an abusive home, she often does so with nothing but her children and the hope for a better future. The first step in her journey is usually a first-stage transition house—an emergency shelter that offers immediate safety, food, and essential support. However, these shelters are temporary, with stays typically lasting only a few weeks to a few months.

The truth is that recovery from domestic violence takes much longer. Women and their children need more than just a safe place—they need stability, time, and the right support to rebuild their lives. That’s where second-stage transition housing becomes essential.

Unlike first-stage shelters, second-stage transition houses provide longer-term, affordable housing for women and their children as they work toward independence. These homes offer private, secure units where families can stay for up to 18 months years, with programming to ensure they have the space to recover and work a plan for their future.

The recently opened Synchronicity Second Stage Transition House Program, operated by Battered Women’s Support Services (BWSS), is helping women and children move forward after violence. More than just a roof over their heads, Synchronicity provides families with practical resources and emotional support. Mothers receive legal assistance, job training, and parenting guidance, while children have access to specialized programs designed to help them process their experiences and regain a sense of normalcy.

A touching example of resilience comes from a mother at Synchronicity who shared a photo of the large closet she turned into a playroom for her daughter. It’s a reminder that even in the midst of major life changes, mothers find ways to bring comfort and joy to their children.

Photo credits: A survivor accessing support through BWSS’ Synchronicity Second Stage Transition House Program, reclaiming her and her child’s safety from the violence of an abusive partner.

BWSS recognizes that leaving abuse is only the beginning—empowerment and long-term security are what truly allow women and children to move forward. By offering a stable and supportive environment combined with programming, Synchronicity helps families regain confidence and take meaningful steps toward the future they deserve.

As more women and children move into this vital second-stage housing program, they are welcomed into a community that believes in them, supports them, and walks with them on their journey.

For those looking to help, supporting BWSS through donations, advocacy, or volunteering at BWSS can create lasting change. Because every mother deserves the chance to rebuild, and every child deserves a home filled with love and safety.

Sexual Coercion – The art of using pressure, guilt, manipulation, alcohol, drugs, or force to obtain sexual contact against someone’s will.

One thing you should always have control over is how far you’re comfortable going with your romantic partner, crush, or even someone you’re casually seeing. Your voice matters, and you should never feel pressured into doing anything you don’t want to do.

If someone makes you feel obligated, pressured, or forced into physical activity, you may be experiencing sexual coercion. By definition, sexual coercion involves using pressure, guilt, manipulation, alcohol, drugs, or force to obtain sexual contact against someone’s will. It also includes repeatedly pushing boundaries after consent has been denied.

A Spectrum of Behaviours

Sexual coercion can take many forms—ranging from subtle emotional pressure to overt physical force. It’s not always obvious, but it often includes verbal, emotional, or manipulative tactics.

Examples of Sexual Coercion:

Consent is Ongoing and Essential

At the heart of any healthy relationship is clear, enthusiastic consent.

Here’s what consent looks like:

Healthy Communication and Boundaries

In a respectful relationship:

If you’re ever uncomfortable or feel unsafe:

You Deserve Respect and Safety

No one should ever feel pressured, guilted, or manipulated into physical intimacy. Your comfort and consent are essential, every step of the way.

If you have questions about consent, sexual boundaries, or what’s healthy in a relationship, our team are here to help.

This Valentine’s Day, we invited the community to share Love Letters for Survivors, and the response has been nothing short of inspirational.

The 42 heartfelt letters of hope, resilience, and solidarity shared both online and in-person at My Sister’s Closet on Main Street by community members collectively sends a message to us all of the power of healing through love and compassion.

We hope that reading these letters will serve as a reminder that you are not alone and that you have a community of support standing behind you.

Thank you for transforming Valentine’s Day into a day of healing, empowerment, and love.