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Public Dreams Window Contest Winner – My Sister’s Closet

Sep 28, 2010 | Battered Women's Support Services, My Sister's Closet

Congratulations on My Sister’s Closet -Commercial Drive for WINNING the BEST WINDOW in the Illuminaries Festival, put on by “Public Dreams” -that creates opportunities for people to experience the joy of artistic expression, to see themselves as creative beings, to turn passive consumption into active participation, and to experience …belonging as an individual within a community.
Su and Pam–You did a fantastic job!!! Thank You for all of your hard work!!

WinningWindow

WinningWindow1WinningWindow2

My Sister’s Show Opening Night

Aug 16, 2010 | My Sister's Closet

What: Join us for the Opening Night of the My Sister’s Show  We will be featuring the beautiful work of four great local jewellery designers!

Where: My Sister’s Closet on 1092 Seymour Street

When: From 6:00-9:00pm, Thursday, September 9, 2010.

Join us in an environmental movement that redefines current trends from blind consumerism to self sufficiency.

We welcome everyone from: organizations, local businesses, universities, and artists to support our stores, which in turn support ending violence against women.

Profits generated through the retail program are used to fund BWSS services and programs.

 

Jewellery Designers My Sister's Closet

 

My Sister’s Show Opening Night

Second Life Designs by Pamela Coneybeare;

Elle J. Designs by Leslie Johnston;

Romanchic Designs by Setareh Bateni;

Crowbooty by Diane Farnsworth.

Pamela Coneybeare:

Second Life Designs

Reduce, Reuse, UPCYCLE!

Owner/designer Pamela Coneybeare upcycles vintage treasures and second-hand materials into beautiful one-of-a-kind jewellery and accessories, using methods of deconstruction, reclaiming and screen printing.

Leslie Johnston:

Elle J. Designs

Leslie Johnston designs unique, custom-made, and one of a kind jewellery for every occasion in sterling silver, Swarovski crystal and semi-precious stones.

Setareh Bateni:

Romanchic Designs

Setareh Bateni designs elegant and romantic jewellery from pearls, Swarovski crystals, and precious metals.

Diane Farnsworth:

Crowbooty

Diane Farnsworth creates a combination of unique designs in silver, gold-fill, brass, and copper engraved with original poetry by published writers.

BC Government refuses to fund victims support during the 2010 Olympic/Paralympic Games while billions spent on security.

Nov 11, 2009 | Battered Women's Support Services, Media Advisory

BC Government refuses to fund victims support
during the 2010 Olympic/Paralympic Games
while billions spent on security.

While Canada invites the world to play it up in our communities, several Vancouver and Sea to Sky Corridor community-based agencies are expected to provide service to international women and children experiencing domestic and sexual assault with zero additional funding.

“In addition to meeting the regular demands of our programming, community based agencies are expected to absorb the anticipated 10 to 36% increase in violence against women and children during the Olympics,” says Tara Franz, Executive Director of the Howe Sound Women’s Centre.

After 2 years of monthly discussions with the provincial government, and four months to go to the opening ceremony, victim service agencies have been told they are “on their own” to service the needs of both local and international victims of domestic and sexual assault.

“This issue of violence against women during the Winter Games is coalescing organizations in the anti-violence sector from Whistler to Vancouver. We are concerned about the demand on services because we want to support international visitors during their stay. We would like our provincial government to recognize we need their help,” explains Angela Marie MacDougall, Executive Director of Battered Women Support Services.

Contact:     Tara Franz, Executive Director, Howe Sound Women’s Centre, 604-892-5748
Shannon Cooley Herdman, Women’s Programs Manager, HSWC, 604-892-5748
Irene Tsepnopoulos-Elhaimer, Executive Director, WAVAW, 604-771-1715
Angela Marie MacDougall, Executive Director, BWSS, 604-808-0507

Developing Safety Strategies for Aboriginal Women on Highways

Nov 11, 2009 | Indigenous Women, Missing Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Violence against women

Developing Safety Strategies for Aboriginal Women on Highways

In Canada, Aboriginal women are five times more likely than other women to die as a result of violence, and the numbers of Aboriginal women who go missing without a trace are staggering.

This is perhaps best known in Vancouver as a result of the eventual investigation into the disappearances of over 60 women from the Downtown Eastside. It is also being recognized as an issue in Northern BC on the ‘Highway of Tears’ where at least 18 women and girls have vanished. Current statistics state that there are 137 missing Aboriginal women in BC.  This problem spreads across the country, and there are reports that more than 500

Aboriginal women are missing in Canada. In response to this crisis, Amnesty International has tabled two reports – Stolen Sisters (2004) and No More Stolen Sisters (2009).

Since 1994, Battered Women’s Support Services has been working in the fight to bring public awareness to the ongoing problem of missing and murdered women. In April of this year, BWSS was given a recent report from the FBI called the Highway Serial Killings Initiative. This report exposes the clear connection between long-haul truckers and cases of missing and/or murdered women in the United States. With this information, BWSS began looking into a possible connection between the cases of missing and murdered women in Western Canada and the trucking industry.

This project will develop research that supports the creation of an inter-provincial coalition and safety model to reduce the risk of harm to Aboriginal women on western Canadian highways. While both students will work together on this project, the scope is large enough that the two research areas will be distinctly different. Following is a more detailed breakdown of the proposed work to be accomplished.

Tanisha will focus her annotated bibliography on literature that specifically addresses issues in policy and legislation relating to the investigations into disappearances and murders of women (law enforcement responses, jurisdictional problems, etc). Jamie will research structural and causative issues that lead to abductions and murders of women (MCFD (child protection), trucking industry, safety, etc).

Through this community research project we will seek to  implement strategies that work for systemic change, industry engagement and to seek justice for women and their families.

The Singer is the Song…The Silence is Over

Oct 21, 2009 | Men Stopping Violence, Violence against women

The Singer is the Song…The Silence is Over

Troy Westwood, storied singer-songwriter, Little Hawk, has a message for men: staying silent about violence against women makes you a part of the problem. He tells them: take action now. Take responsibility to end violence against our mothers, our sisters, our daughters and every woman we do not know, she who is still a part of us.

And Troy is not standing alone with his message. Read this edition of Women Making Waves, which, for the first time in its 25-year history, opens its pages to the voices of men who are working – not pledging – but working to end violence against women.

Byron Hurt, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, writer and an anti-sexist activist, writes about the first time he spoke out against men’s violence against women. His work continues. Dennis Danforth Jr, a member of the Oneida First Nation, describes how he teaches children to honour and respect women and, through his work with Masc Magazine, encourages men to accept that they bear the largest responsibility to end violence against women. Sebastian Roberts’ life was transformed through a personal tragedy leading him to work in Africa where he came to understand that “Sexism is an invisible plague that is taking the lives of women around the world.” He intends to return to Africa to do his part to end, “this chauvinistic madness.”

Over the past two years, Battered Women’s Support Services has worked within communities of men to welcome them into the movement to end violence against women. In this issue of Women Making Waves, we report on the power of men’s commitment to anti-violence work.