November 25: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

November 25th marks the start of two anti-violence campaigns:

Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender Violence (November 25th to December 10th) links violence against women and human rights, emphasizing that all forms of violence, whether perpetrated in the public or private sphere, are a violation of human rights. November 25 is International Day Against Violence Against Women and December 10 is International Human Rights Day. The 16-day period also includes December 1, World AIDS Day, and December 6, the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre. More information is available from www.cwgl.rutgers.edu.

The White Ribbon Campaign (November 25th to December 6th) provides an opportunity for boys and men to work together to end violence against women. Education and Action kits are available from the White Ribbon Campaign.

December 6th: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

CLC Poster #1 for December 6 (1.29 Mb)
CLC Poster #2 for December 6 (1.29 Mb)

Geneviève Bergeron 21 Hélène Colgan 23 Nathalie Croteau 23 Barbara Daigneault 22 Anne-Marie Edward 21 Maud Haviernick 29 Barbara Maria Klucznik 31 Maryse Laganière 25 Maryse Leclair 23 Anne-Marie Lemay 27 Sonia Pelletier 23 Michèle Richard 21 Annie St-Arneault 23 Annie Turcotte 21

Twenty years ago, on Dec. 6, 1989, 14 young women were killed at the École Polytechnique in Montreal in what has become known as the Montreal Massacre. Their tragic deaths remind us of the frightening reality that dozens of women die violently every year in this country. This day has been declared a national day of mourning and action.

We realize that the murder of these women was not an isolated act. Along with violence against women in homes, workplaces, and the street, this tragedy is yet another manifestation of the devaluing and blaming of women which is embedded in our society and internalized in individuals.

Violence is a chosen response. Society must become more serious about ending violence against women and children. Our institutions must work and achieve equality including equal power between men and women.

Rose Buttons campaign

Every year, the YWCA of Canada sells rose buttons to mark December 6. These buttons can be distributed, or sold to raise funds for community organizations supporting women in violent situations. For more information on this campaign, see the YWCA website.

ETFO's Anti-Violence Programs and Resources

Anti-Violence: Getting Past the Headlines

Violence against women and children makes the news almost every day. This opens up countless opportunities to get past the headlines and help your students examine the:

• history of violence against women; social, political, racial, and media context of violence;
• psychological, social and economic impact on women's (and children's) lives;
• needs of women and children who have witnessed or experienced violence;
• police and legal response;
• political response by various levels of governments, and;
• role of education, anti-violence and anti-sexism programs in schools.

Roots of Equality

Between 2006 and 2008, ETFO members developed a collection of resources called Roots of Equality.  Partially funded by the Ontario Women’s Directorate, the resources are designed to help educators foster students’ healthy, equal relationships and raise awareness of violence against women.

•  Lesson plans for Grades 1-8;
•  Workshop for Grade 7 & 8 girls’ conferences;
• Tip sheets for educators in  English and  French; and
• Tip sheets for parents in eight languages.

women abuse affects our children

This program, new in 2007-2008, is funded by the Ontario Women’s Directorate.  Two-day regional workshops prepare members to facilitate local workshops, focused on the effects of violence against women on children.  Contact Carol Zavitz, czavitz@etfo.org, for more information about available, or go to  www.curriculum.org/womanabuse for downloadable resources.

Breaking the Silence
 
Examining Violence Against Women is a program designed to educate women ETFO members about domestic violence and how to help women in violent situations. ETFO trains women members interested in facilitating workshops on violence against women, and makes the workshops available at the local level, in an after-school, half-day or all-day (weekday or weekend) format.

Take a Closer Look:

A practical guide to exploring issues of media violence in the intermediate classroom is a resource ETFO produced in 2001. The writers of this guide are available to conduct workshops at the local level.

Contact your Status of Women Chairperson at your local office for more information on these programs, or to suggest bringing them to your local.

Resources

The best source for general information about violence against women is Springtide Resources, a Toronto-based organization whose mission is to inform and educate the community about the issue of wife assault/woman abuse in order to decrease the incidence of physical, psychological, emotional, and sexual violence against women and the effect that woman abuse has on children. Materials are available from their website, or you can order their publications online, by phone, or mail.

Springtide Resources
Suite 220, 215 Spadina Avenue
Toronto, ON, Canada M5T 2C7
Phone: (416) 968-3422
TTY: (416) 968-7335
Fax: (416) 968-2026
Website: www.springtideresources.org

Useful Websites

METRAC:
Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children (Toronto) www.metrac.org

Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children
(University of Western Ontario) www.uwo.ca/violence/

Ontario Women’s Directorate
http://www.ontariowomensdirectorate.gov.on.ca/

National Clearing House on Family Violence
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/familyviolence/index.html

FREDA
Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children
www.harbour.sfu.ca/freda

Take Action

Violence is learned behaviour, and all forms of violence are related.

As long as racial taunts and sexist comments continue to exist in our classrooms, violence in schools will continue. As long as the media (including movies, music, video games, and advertisements) portray a litany of violent acts, violence will continue. As long as children grow up in abusive homes and witness abuse, violence will continue.

Solutions to ending violence must be collaborative in nature and holistic in scope. That means classroom teachers, schools, local boards, and the community itself must work together to change a lifetime of learning violence.

Local Status of Women Committees can do their part by forming partnerships with community groups, increasing awareness within the school community, and implementing anti-violence initiatives. Here are some suggestions:

Curriculum

• Encourage your school and district school board to use programs such as The Peacemaker Program, Second Step, and/or other problem-solving and social skills programs;
• Encourage grade 6, 7, 8 teachers to plan a day of workshops on violence awareness and prevention for the students. These could include topics such as family violence, dating violence, gang violence, date rape, racism, and sexual harassment;
• Encourage school anti-violence programs that begin in the early years.

Professional Development

• Encourage the district school board to plan workshops for professional development on the issue of violence. Breaking the Silence is an ETFO Women’s Program offering workshops addressing issues of violence against women.

Resources

• Encourage the district school board to provide funding for classroom resources that deal with issues of violence;

Policies

• Ask for input into all district school board policies related to issues of violence;
• Ensure anti-violence policies include development, implementation, monitoring, and revision practices;
• Encourage teachers to involve parents in developing classroom rules and reinforcing them by expecting the same standards at home;
• Emphasize prevention: no bullying, no harassment, no name-calling, even in the early years;
• Encourage schools to involve the whole community, including students, in discussing violence in the schools and what can be done about it.

What suggestions do you have? Let us know by emailing Carol Zavitz.

Supporting Women's Shelters

Women in Crisis is an ETFO Women’s Program that provides donations to existing women’s crisis centres and start-up grants to newly established women’s crisis centres. Locals are encouraged to make a matching donation in money or in-kind services. Contact your local Status of Women Chairperson or president. You can locate women’s shelters at www.shelternet.ca [removed link on April 30, 2012].

Here are some ideas for providing financial assistance and in-kind services for shelters in your area:

• Hold silent auctions of crafts and items donated by teachers and community members;
• Hold draws, raffles, and other events to raise money;
• When members come to local events, ask them to bring useful items for women and children in crisis centres (The centres will be able to tell what they need.);
• Encourage members to collect samples given out by hotels (shampoo, soap, etc.) when travelling. These can be collected in the staff room and given to the shelter once a year;
• Encourage members to donate used clothing and household goods to the local shelter;
• Organize a collection of backpacks filled with school supplies for children living in shelters;
• Hold casual Fridays and donate the money to the shelters. Have draws, raffles, and other events, which raise money;
• Call your local shelter to find out ways of volunteering time in lieu of money.

Board/Shelter Protocol

Children from shelters attend the schools in their neighbourhoods. This offers another opportunity to provide non-monetary support to women’s shelters. Find out what the arrangement is between the district school board and the women’s shelter. If no protocol exists, work with the district school board and the shelter to develop one.

How have you helped women's shelters in your area? Let us know by emailing Carol Zavitz.