In April 2020, the Toronto-based Canadian Women s Foundation launched the “signal for help,” a hand gesture that has led to the rescue of endangered women.
Long-Awaited Roadmap Provides National Path to Ending Violence Against Women
The strategy could make a real difference for women and girls, but only if government keeps its promises, experts say.
Samantha McCabe is a Vancouver-based freelancer focused on politics, equity and sexual violence. Find her on Twitter @sam mccabage. SHARES ‘There’s no time to waste here.’
Photo of Montreal protest against domestic violence by Mario Beauregard, the Canadian Press.
How can we make real headway on the issue of gender-based violence in Canada? It’s a complex question, but a new roadmap funded by the department of Women and Gender Equality and developed by Women’s Shelters Canada aims to provide holistic answers.
The coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic a little more than a year ago and this period hasn’t been easy for anyone. People are still struggling financially, psychologically, and emotionally. The issues we had before the pandemic started to become even more evident when everything was locked down. One of those issues is domestic violence.
The Women’s Funding Network recognized the issue early on and, in connection with the Canadian Women’s Foundation, launched the campaign “Signal for Help” in April of last year. It is a one-handed gesture that anyone who feels threatened can show another person, who could then report the situation to the authorities. These days, people are spreading more awareness about this hand gesture so that those experiencing abuse will know how to discreetly get help and so that others will be able to recognize it and take action.
The coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic a little more than a year ago and this period hasn’t been easy for anyone. People are still struggling financially, psychologically, and emotionally. The issues we had before the pandemic started to become even more evident when everything was locked down. One of those issues is domestic violence.
The Women’s Funding Network recognized the issue early on and, in connection with the Canadian Women’s Foundation, launched the campaign “Signal for Help” in April of last year. It is a one-handed gesture that anyone who feels threatened can show another person, who could then report the situation to the authorities. These days, people are spreading more awareness about this hand gesture so that those experiencing abuse will know how to discreetly get help and so that others will be able to recognize it and take action.