PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
October 5, 2016
Community and Police Take Action on Women’s Safety in Vancouver
Women’s Safety Fair Brings Together 19 Groups at SFU Harbour Center
Vancouver, B.C. –Violence against women is the biggest threat to women’s equality globally. Whether it’s street harassment, sexual violence or male violence in relationships women are navigating violence and the threat of violence daily. While the struggle against violence looks different for every woman, one thing holds true, women are not passive like the media may lead us to believe.
Locally, women subvert violence in their lives through accessing community based organizations such as Battered Women’s Support Services (BWSS). Annually, Battered Women’s Support Services responds to 10,000 crisis line calls where women are seeking safety in their lives.
“This year, BWSS and women in our community are choosing to change the narrative based on the perspectives of women who push back” said Claudia Maldonado, BWSS Crisis Line & Intake Coordinator, “The women’s safety fair hosted by the Vancouver Police Department is a time to highlight that resistance while coming together with other organizations and the community”.
“This is Battered Women’s Support Services fifth year participating in the Women’s Safety Fair” said Angela Marie MacDougall, BWSS Executive Director, “and we will continue to honour women’s resistance as a reminder that women and girls are social change makers in every act of struggle against violence”.
“Our participation is our continued effort to confront the existing emphasis on women being held responsible to avoid violence perpetrated against us” said Rona Amiri, BWSS Violence Prevention Coordinator, “while raising the profile of women’s every day acts of resistance”.
The Women’s Safety will be held on October 5, 2016 at SFU Harbour Center from 11am to 4pm.
Media enquiries: Angela Marie MacDougall, Executive Director, Battered Women’s Support Services Tel. (604) 808 0507 E-mail: director@bwss.org
