Ending Violence Blog
Via our award winning blog Battered Women’s Support Services provides education and advocacy as we work towards the elimination of violence.
Risk Assessment Identifies Danger. Safety Planning Navigates It.
Last week, Canadian Press reported that police had identified intimate partner violence risk factors using a confidential tool and a woman was still killed. This detail matters. It tells us something deeply uncomfortable but critically important: this was not a case...
International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers
On the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, we stand in solidarity with sex workers across British Columbia and honour those who have lost their lives to violence, neglect, and systemic failure. Sex workers live and work in communities throughout BC,...
A Turning Point for Survivor Safety in British Columbia
This week, Canadians witnessed two significant developments in the effort to address gender-based violence. The federal government announced proposed changes to the Criminal Code that move toward naming violence against women more accurately and more honestly....
Rewriting Recognition as Canada Begins to Name Violence against Women as It Exists
This moment reflects a restructuring of how violence is recognized in Canadian law. It marks a step toward naming violence against women and gender-based violence as it exists and not as systems have traditionally preferred to define, minimize, deny, or rationalize....
On the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, BWSS Declares: “16 Days Is Not Symbolic. It’s an Emergency Response.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 25, 2025 On the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, BWSS Declares: “16 Days Is Not Symbolic. It’s an Emergency Response.” British Columbia faces rising femicide, systemic failures, and unprecedented demand...
Five Actions BC Can Take Right Now to Prevent Femicide 16 Days. One Emergency. Millions of Survivors.
British Columbia is experiencing a devastating rise in femicide and intimate partner violence. Women are being killed in their homes, communities, and relationships at a rate that is both predictable and preventable. At BWSS, we hear every day from survivors...
What Happened After B.C. Declared Gender-Based Violence an Epidemic?
A look at the missed opportunities, the rising risks, and the five urgent actions B.C. needs today. In January 2025, the Government of British Columbia declared gender-based violence (GBV) a national epidemic. That moment carried weight. It signaled overdue...
16 Days. One Emergency. One Province Rising
Every November 25th: The World Rises International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women Launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based ViolenceIn British Columbia, 48% of women and girls have experienced intimate partner violence.Reports have...
BWSS Addresses Vancouver City Council on Gender Equity and Violence Prevention
On November 5, 2025, Battered Women’s Support Services Executive Director Angela Marie MacDougall addressed Vancouver City Council on two critical motions: Ensuring Continuity of the Women’s Equity Strategy Following the Closure of the Equity Office...
Safety Isn’t a Feeling, It’s Infrastructure: BWSS 2024–2025 Impact Report
The most dangerous moment for a survivor is not when violence begins — it’s when she tries to leave.Not because she lacks courage, but because our systems too often fail to hold her. At BWSS, we know survivors don’t face one barrier — they face many. Leaving violence...
In Pursuit of Justice 2025
Advancing Feminist Litigation and Survivor-Centred Legal Reform The Justice Centre at BWSS invites you to our national feminist legal-justice gathering during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Building on the momentum of last year’s conference,...
BWSS Statement on Federal Investment in Gender Equality
A Collective Victory Rooted in Organizing, Led by Survivors, Powered by Communities Across These Lands This Commitment Did Not Happen by Chance With Celebration Comes Vigilance Our Commitment Forward — Together Today’s announcement of renewed, multi-year federal...