- COMMUNITY ROLE/RESPONSIBILITY -

  • ending violence against women needs to be a community effort
  • we all have a responsibility to do what we can to end violence against women
  • we can all have a positive impact in changing our world
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There are many things that you can do:
  1. Volunteer at a sexual assault center, women’s shelter or anti-violence program - people power is as necessary as financial support.

  2. Donate goods, services or money or fundraise for a sexual assault center, women’s shelter or anti-violence program.

  3. Donate money, services, resources and/or time to an organization that works with and for abused women; if there is no service in your community, help get one started; contact the YWCA or Canadian Women’s Foundation for information.

  4. Organize a peer counseling program, making sure peer counselors are trained to deal with dating violence.

  5. Organize events for March 8 (International Women’s Day) and December 6 (Canada’s Day of Remembrance and Action to End Violence Against Women) to draw attention to the issue.

  6. Support public action - wear a December 6 Rose Button - join demonstrations or marches that speak out against violence and oppression (e.g. Take Back The Night).

  7. Urge school boards, workplaces and religious places to adopt anti-violence and anti-racist policies and talk about it as a group.

  8. Encourage your local school or school board to develop educational programs about building positive self-esteem and healthy relationships.

  9. Ask the school to incorporate anti-violence, anti-racism and equality-promoting education into programming for both males and females, students and teachers.

  10. Organize an anti-harassment council or committee in your school or workplace; include information about harassment based on ender, race, disability and sexual orientation.

  11. Perform safety audits to see how safe your school, workplace or meeting place is for young women; if it’s safer for young women, it will be safer for everyone.

  12. Talk to your student’s council or women’s center about how to get your school, college or university to develop zero tolerance of violence and create sexual harassment policies and procedures.

  13. Organize speakers from a sexual assault center, women’s shelter or youth organization to come to your school or workplace.

  14. Help set up courses on the issue in local schools, libraries, community centers and your workplace.

  15. Take a women’s self-defense course; organize one for your group.

  16. Post emergency and service numbers in public places - in areas wherever you and your friends hang out.

  17. Talk about the issue with your family, your friends, and your children.

  18. Write to your political representatives asking them what they plan to do to help STOP violence against women.

  19. Pay attention to how television and movies and all media portray women - protest against media or advertisers that portray violent, sexist, degrading and stereotypical images; express your opinions to station managers, advertising agencies and advertisers that depict gratuitous violence and stereotyping.

  20. Listen and believe when people talk about violence in your life or community.

  21. Pledge not to commit or condone violence in your life or community.

  22. Become aware of what you do and say all the time - your behaviour can be seen and heard, and copied, by a child or someone else who looks up to you.

  23. SPEAK OUT against sexism, racism, and all other forms of violence; challenge (if it is safe to do so) hurtful and abusive attitudes, actions, language and jokes - words that hurt people are not funny.

  24. Create your own personal zero-tolerance policy for violence.

  25. Believe you deserve to live without violence - find ways to be safe.
(all ideas present in The Body Shop printed campaign material)

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To help yourself or someone you know:
  • Talk to someone you trust
  • Get support from anyone who is supportive, which may include friends, family, counselor, women’s shelter
  • See a counselor - one-to-one, or join a support group
  • Read self-help books
  • Practice self-care
  • Say NO to violence
  • Believe you deserve to live without violence - find ways to be safe
  • Prepare a safety plan (what to do and where to go if in danger; include the children; hide important phone numbers, car keys, money, clothes, things for children, important papers)
  CLICK HERE  to contact Anselma House.
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