Violence Prevention Grey Bruce is kicking off 16 Days of Activism until December 10 to address gender-based violence.
Every year since 1991, communities mark the 16 days between November 25 and December 10th to address gender-based violence. It will include the 30th-anniversary vigil in honour of the women killed at l’Ecole Polytechnique in 1989
Violence Prevention Grey Bruce Coordinator Jon Farmer said Violence against women is a problem in Grey and Bruce counties like it is across Canada and all around the world. He explained the problem is pervasive and complex, with half of all Canadian women experiencing physical or sexual violence.
He pointed out violence against women can be mental, emotional, and economic. For example in 2018 female employees aged 25 to 54 earned 13.3 per cent less per hour, on average, than their male counterparts. That gender pay gap diminishes women’s abilities to create stable and healthy lives for them and their families. Poverty also increases the risk for women experiencing intimate partner violence by creating economic barriers to leaving their abusers.
Stereotypes and discriminatory beliefs about women first plant the seeds of violence through the lessons we give our children. We teach children what we expect of girls with every “aren’t you beautiful”, “what a nice little girl”, and “isn’t she well behaved.” Farmer said focusing on a girls' appearance teaches her that her body is her most valuable attribute. Boys are watching and learn to treat girls the same way. He added people need to balance their feedback by making sure to also focus on girls’ intelligence, strength, humour, and talents.
He said teaching girls to be “nice” and take care of the people around them while disregarding their own needs, sets them up for unequal relationships later in life, while encouraging girls to pursue stereotypically feminine careers could their economic opportunities in stereotypically masculine fields like the trades.
Farmer said he is grateful so many individuals and groups in the area work to support survivors of gendered violence and to prevent its underlying causes.
For women who need support after experiencing violence, the Women’s Centre Grey and Bruce and Women’s House Serving Bruce and Grey offer emergency shelter, crisis lines, counselling, advocacy and court support. Victim Services can provide funding to support recent victims of violence. The Sexual Assault and Partner Abuse Care Centre at Grey Bruce Health Services also offers on-going counselling to survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence.
Many other groups are also working to raise awareness about and to prevent gender-based violence. The leadership class at Owen Sound District Secondary School is planning events and activities throughout the 16 days of activism to raise awareness among their peers and last year’s class created a video about consent. Local arts group Sheatre has interactive performances about relationship violence and elder abuse. Violence Prevention Grey Bruce is running an Arts for Change contest this winter to encourage students in Grades 7-12 to create art about healthy relationships. The Men’s Program offers a group for men to examine and end their violence and another for fathers to expand and strengthen their approaches to parenting.
