Saturday, April 19, 2014

Everyone has important role to play in ending violence against women

The third week of April is Prevention of Violence against Women Week in British Columbia. As part of its efforts to focus attention on the ongoing issue of family violence, and galvanize the community to take action to help prevent it, the Kelowna Women’s Shelter submitted this article we are proud to publish.
The question of how to stop the ongoing problem of violence against women is complex, with deep, historical roots in how society views women.
Every day, we are assaulted with imagery and messaging that objectifies women, and supports gender inequality and the deep-seated attitude that women deserve less social power than men.
In addition to providing safe haven and counseling support to women and their children who have experienced abuse, the Kelowna Women’s Shelter is working to change those attitudes, through strategic education programs that target the next generation.
Our SuperNova program for children and Inside/Out Youth Program work to break the generational cycle of abuse by engaging young people to identify and address the issues and challenges they face.
SuperNova is a free, 8-10 week after-school program for children who’ve been affected by family conflict or change.
Each week focuses on a different topic, including self-esteem, identifying and expressing feelings, understanding changes and challenges within families, healthy communication, boundaries, anger, and ways to stay safe.
Over the past year, about 100 children had the opportunity to benefit from SuperNova.
Offered free to schools and community groups, the Inside/Out program uses group discussion, activities, information sharing, and multi-media resources to help students recognize and seek out respectful relationships.
This powerful, interactive program fosters the development of critical thinking skills that empower youth to make positive lifestyle choices, and equips them with the tools to break the cycle of abuse. This school year, more than 400 students from kindergarten to grade 12 participated.
But educational efforts are only one piece of the puzzle. The long-term solution to violence against women is a societal one, and each of us has a part to play in changing the attitudes and behaviours that lead to abuse.
Here are some things we can all do:
·         Address women respectfully at all times. Actions speak louder than words, and boys in particular look up to the men in their lives to model behaviour.
·         Don’t put up with putting down women. Particularly in certain settings such as sports, it seems acceptable to degrade or put down women with language and humour. It isn’t.
·         Teach children it’s important to treat everyone, no matter what their gender, with the same respect they’d like to receive.
·         Encourage young people to admire and emulate heroes – whether professional athletes, movie-stars or musicians – that respect women.
·         Model, and talk about, healthy relationships.

·         If you witness a woman being threatened or assaulted, offer your help or call 911.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Kelowna Women’s Shelter offers free help, 24 hours a day
The third week of April is Prevention of Violence against Women Week in British Columbia. As part of its efforts to focus attention on the ongoing issue of family violence, and galvanize the community to take action to help prevent it, the Kelowna Women’s Shelter submitted this article we are proud to publish.

Unless you’ve lived it, it’s almost impossible to imagine what it must be like to experience family violence and abuse.
Imagine your partner slammed out of the house after shouting, raging, and calling you names. No matter how hard you try, you can’t avert his verbal attacks.
Imagine you have just gotten a call from your partner saying he's on his way home and “You are going to get what you deserve”.  Last time he said that, he beat you so viciously you thought you might die while your children cowered in the next room.
Imagine knowing you must leave your home with your children, perhaps within a matter of minutes - but you have no way to leave and nowhere to go and no money to pay for anything. What would you do? Who would you call?
When a woman experiencing violence and abuse reaches out for help, it is essential the services she needs are immediately accessible and available, and that they adequately meet her needs and the needs of her children.
The Kelowna Women’s Shelter opened its doors 34 years ago to provide services to women and children whose lives have been impacted by family violence, abuse and significant trauma or crisis. Kelowna Women’s Shelter staff and services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and everything is confidential and free of charge. 
The primary objective of the Kelowna Women’s Shelter is to offer women and children safety and an opportunity to create a future free of violence and abuse. In practical terms, this necessitates a continuum of counseling and support services designed to meet the needs of women at any stage of dealing with violence and abuse within a relationship.
Accessing Kelowna Women’s Shelter services is as simple as making a phone call.  An initial call can provide validation, support, information, referrals, help with decision-making and safety planning, or when necessary, immediate transportation to a safe location.

The Kelowna Women’s Shelter provides, most importantly, a safe, confidential setting in which women and children benefit from the compassion, respect and non-judgmental support of a knowledgeable staff. 

Women and children can access non-residential services including group and individual counseling and support, referrals and advocacy. 

If a woman (and her kids) need a safe place to stay, they can be assured of a clean welcoming household, food, transportation, caring childcare staff in a well-stocked playroom, and counselors offering crisis intervention counseling, referrals to other community resources, advocacy, accompaniment to court or appointments, and group and individual counseling. 

Long-term support, follow-up visits, and outreach services are also available to assist a woman and her children in transitioning to a new life free from abuse.

The range of services available make it possible for a woman to move beyond a life of violence and abuse to a future free of violence, and full of hope.

If you need help or know someone who does, please call the Kelowna Women’s Shelter at 250 763-1040.  Help is available.


The Kelowna Women’s Shelter is a non-profit organization that offers emergency transitional housing, counseling, support and education to women and their children who have experienced abuse. For more information, or to make a donation, visit kelownawomensshelter.ca or call 250-763-1040.