Ending Violence Blog

This Mother’s Day, honour the strength it takes to mother through violence. From listening without judgment to offering practical support, there are powerful ways to stand beside mothers navigating abuse. Your support helps provide safety, healing, and hope.

The trial of five former members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior hockey team is more than a question of guilt or innocence—it’s a national reckoning. At the center is E.M., a survivor whose story challenges not just individual actions, but the culture that raised these men, the institutions that protected them, and the systems that continue to fail survivors. This isn’t just about hockey. It’s about power, silence, and what kind of country we are willing to be.

On May 5, red dresses hang in silence—marking the absence of Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people who should still be with us. But we cannot let these dresses remain symbols.   They speak to an ongoing crisis—misogynist, racist, and economic violence—rooted...

Yesterday, we lost Virginnia Giuffre — a woman who refused to be erased. Her death is a tragedy not only of one life lost, but of a world still unwilling to protect those it exploits. Virginnia stood against a machinery of misogynist violence — a world where the...

Post-separation can often be an especially difficult and dangerous time, as abusive partners may continue and even escalate their efforts to exert power through manipulation, intimidation, or harassment. If you are facing this situation, we have prepared a few strategies to support the safety and well-being of you and your children. 

Recognizing these tactics is crucial for safety, healing, and seeking support. Below are some of the most common forms of post-separation abuse—and what you can do about them. 

It’s often challenging for many people to understand why a survivor choose to stay in the relationship or would even consider returning to their abusive partner after taking action to escape and leave.

Post-separation abuse is the continuation of power and control tactics by an abusive partner after the relationship has ended. It’s a dangerous and often misunderstood phase in the cycle of abuse.

She walked away from the abuse. He didn’t stop. In partnership with our social enterprise, My Sister’s Closet, this campaign uses fashion to make visible what’s often hidden: post-separation abuse. It’s happening in plain sight. It’s happening to someone in your neighbourhood.

BWSS and My Sister’s Closet (MSC) are taking part in Fashion Revolution Week to spotlight the deep connections between fashion, justice, safety and the environment. The fashion industry too often thrives on the exploitation of women and the planet, reflecting the same systems that enable gender-based violence.

When we say that survivors of domestic violence don’t just leave — they escape — this is what we mean.