Violence Against Women
Statistics show that one in four Canadian girls and women are the victim of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault or abuse during their lifetimes.
When the daily headlines detail story after story about violent incidents affecting women – whether it is through domestic violence, rape, dangerous work, force prostitution, the illegal trafficking of women or other forms of violence – we think governments should at least be noticing that there is a problem.
In September of 2006, a gunman killed another young woman and injured 20 others in a Montreal college, a shocking situation in light of the “Montreal Massacre” of 14 young women at L’Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal on December 6, 1989. Not a week after the incident in September ’06, a US gunman sexually assaulted elementary girls in their classroom before killing one girl and himself.
Women have gone missing in the Downtown Eastside, and the horrendous details of some of their deaths are being recounted every day as the trial of Robert Pickton, accused in many of their deaths, goes on.
Women and girls have gone missing north of Prince George on the “Highway of Tears”, in the Maquiladora production zone in Mexico, in war-torn Afghanistan and throughout the world.
In spite of these alarming statistics, the BC Attorney General has retreated from a zero tolerance policy and encouraged Crown Prosecutors to divert domestic violence cases a way from the Courts. Liberal cuts to community-based victims’ services, legal aid and women’s centres further threaten women’s safety.
Organizations Combating Violence Against Women
For a list of other resources, click here for links to other organizations working on this issue.
BC/Yukon Society of Transition Houses
Suite 325, 119 W. Pender Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 1S5
Phone: 604 669 6943
Toll Free: 1.800.661.1040
Fax: 604 682 6962
www.bcysth.ca
Email: admin@bcysth.ca
BC Coalition of Women’s Centres
To find a women’s centre in your community:
South Fraser Women's Services Society
North Shore Women's Centre
The BC Institute Against Family Violence
74640 Kitsilano RPO
Vancouver, BC V6K 4P4
Phone: 604-669-7055
Toll free (within Canada): 1-877-755-7055
Fax: 604-669-7054
Email: Please address all general inquiries or comments to ngrunberg@bcifv.org.
WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre
Delamont RPO, PO Box 29084
Vancouver, BC V6J 5C2
Phone:
WAVAW Office: 604.255.6228 (Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm)
24-hour Crisis Line: (604) 255-6344
Toll-Free Crisis Line: 1 (877) 392-7583
Email:
General Inquiries: admin@wavaw.ca
Victim Services Program: vsp@wavaw.ca
Inquiries about Counselling Programs: stv@wavaw.ca
Aboriginal Outreach Program: aboriginalprogram@wavaw.ca
Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter
c/o P.O. Box 21562
1424 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, B.C. V5L 5G2
Crisis Line: 604- 872-8212
TTY: 604- 877-0958 (9AM to 9PM)
E-mail: info@rapereliefshelter.bc.ca
