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.