Ending Violence Blog

We are pleased to announce two additions to our dynamic and committed team. Front line workers play a pivotal role in empowering and supporting survivors who decide to leave abusive intimate relationships. The Support Worker at BWSS provides direct services; systems...

“Just leave.” It’s the statement that many survivors of intimate partner violence hear over and over again. But living together, marriage, children, and shared finances are often huge reasons that people in abusive relationships stay. It also requires lots of time and...

As part of BWSS ongoing commitment to inclusivity, we are happy to share that we are updating our website to include dedicated information, statistics, and safety resources for trans and non-binary survivors of violence, which will go live next week! We also recognize...

I am Beautiful I am Powerful I am Magical I am Female I am Black I am who I say I am, not who they tell me I am.   Black woman as a matter of course, have been a told 1,001 ways what we are NOT. We are not special, we are not valuable, we are not beautiful, we are not...

Battered Women’s Support Services (BWSS) commemorates International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, today, August 9, 2018. The theme set by the UN this year is, Indigenous peoples’ migration and movement “as a result of loss of their lands, territories and...

One woman or girl is killed every other day in Canada and on average, every week a woman is killed by her intimate partner who is usually a man. Unlike other criminal activity in Canada, for the last 40 years reports of violence against women and girls has increased....

1. Control Abusive relationships are rooted in power and control—and feeling like your partner is keeping track of your every move is a huge warning sign. For instance, did they ask you for all of your private passwords? Invading your privacy is a form of...

Battered Women’s Support Services is offering an Expressive Arts Therapy group for women who have experienced gender violence.  Expressive Arts Therapy uses different modalities such as writing, visual art, movement, and  music to provide a space for...

PRESS RELEASE For immediate release July 26, 2018 Connecting Survivors of Violence to Support An updated, comprehensive, and easy to understand guide to finding help for survivors of violence. Vancouver, B.C. —Since its initial launch in March 2006, tens...

The Jordan Decision seems to have a negative impact on how justice system responds to violence against women. Have you heard about the Jordan Decision?  R v Jordan is a decision of the Supreme Court of Canada that changed the framework previously used to...

Cuts have been implemented to legal aid since the early 1990’s. In 2002, the province slashed 40% from the funding for the Legal Services Society (LSS) the agency that provides legal aid in BC which as a result impacted policies in Family Law matters....