On August 1st, the Ontario government announced that the planned 3% increase to social assistance rates will be reduced to 1.5%. These cuts, along with other changes including the cancellation of the change to the definition of ‘spouse’ will have an impact on women across the province. These changes put women at greater risk of poverty and violence.
The government has said they will be undertaking a 100-day review of social assistance programs in Ontario. WomaACT wants to ensure that the voice and expertise of women with lived experience of poverty and violence and advocates with equity-seeking groups are heard. It is critical that we continue to advocate for an intersectional gender-based analysis of income security policies and programs. Join us on September 27th for a cross-sector discussion on making social assistance reform in Ontario work for women. This important discussion will also help inform a response to the Ontario government on social assistance reform. The event will start with a panel of experts and move into working groups to discuss key questions:
Event Details: September 27th 2018 from 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm Children’s Aid Society of Toronto Auditorium 30 Isabella Street, Toronto ON M4Y 1N1 Food and light refreshments will be provided.
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WomanACT’s submission to CMHC’s National Consultation on a Human Rights-Based Approach to Housing6/5/2018
By Lieran Docherty
In November 2017, the Canadian government launched the first ever National Housing Strategy in Canada. As a part of this strategy, the federal government made a commitment to working towards a human rights-based approach to housing. The government held a public consultation with communities across Canada on the proposed approach.
In preparation for this submission, WomanACT coordinated a consultation process with stakeholders providing Violence Against Women services in the city of Toronto. WomanACT’s submission stresses the importance of recognizing the intersections between housing, homelessness and violence against women and the many barriers that women face when trying to seek safety. WomanACT recommends that a rights-based approach to housing must recognize the critical importance of safety in achieving adequate housing and the right for women to remain in their own homes. WomanACT’s submission also recommends that the principles in the National Housing Strategy can be further strengthened through a robust intersectional Gender-Based Analysis, meaningful engagement with Women with Lived Experience and a commitment to addressing systemic inequality and discrimination. Read the full submission here. We are looking forward to hosting the Cyber Sexual Violence Forum today! Special thanks to the Department of Justice for funding this important project. By Bianca Caputo, WomanACT Social Media Team  By Paula Wells, WomanACT Social Media Coordinator  You heard correct... Registration for this year's Supporting Survivors by Supporting Staff (SSxSS) is now OPEN!
On Tuesday March 6th and Wednesday March 7th, facilitators Bo Yih Thom, MSW, RSW, RP, and J. McKnight will be guiding us through a 2-day training conference which will bring a strong focus on trauma-informed care and practice, trauma and the brain, self-reflection, and unpacking bias. Registration closes on February 23rd, 2018 so be sure to register now while you can! This is your chance to engage, learn and grow with other front-line workers in VAW agencies. If you have not received an email from WomanACT yet or would like more information, please email us today. Click here to read our latest blog with more details about SSxSS 2018 and our outstanding facilitators. By Paula Wells, WomanACT Social Media Coordinator  It is that wonderful time of the year again!
As the 2018 End Violence against Women Week is quickly approaching, we want to get you excited about this year's Supporting Survivors by Supporting Staff (SSxSS) 2-day training conference! Our goal for this year is that over two days, the same facilitators will support individual, organizational, and sector capacity through a combination of experiential and content based learning activities. We will work together to expand our knowledge of how trauma and other forms of violence affect the mind, body, and Spirit, while increasing our collective capacity to respond effectively and respectfully as a system. We welcome this year's facilitators, Bo Yih Thom, MSW, RSW, RP, and J. McKnight, who will bring a strong focus on trauma-informed care and practice, trauma and the brain, self-reflection, and unpacking bias. Let's learn about our amazing facilitators... Bo Yih Thom, MSW, RSW, RP, is the Director of Integrative Counselling Resources, a Toronto-based private practice that offers psychotherapy, clinical supervision, and consultation services to individuals and agencies across Ontario. She has an extensive background in community-based organizations, where she worked as a therapist and social worker with vulnerable populations experiencing trauma and substance use. Bo Yih was a part time professor in the Assaulted Women and Children’s Counsellor Advocate Program at George Brown College, and a course facilitator with the Harm Reduction Certificate Program at York University. Bo Yih is a specialist in intersectionality, especially as it relates to surviving trauma and ambiguous grief. She works from a strengths based perspective that can integrate short and long term counselling modalities with anti-oppression frameworks and mindfulness. J McKnight worked in Toronto's community service sector from 2002-2013, most recently as Manager of Clinical Services for YWCA Toronto. J was part of the evolution of the service delivery system in the GTA that aimed to improve the capacity of VAW (violence against women) and community mental health services to support women and families who had experienced violence and other forms of oppression. J is currently a psychotherapist in private practice in the Finger Lakes region of New York, working with individuals and families using an experiential approach that integrates mind, body and spirit to support healing, growth, and transformation. Date: Tuesday March 6th, Wednesday March 7th *Note: While you have the option to attend only one of the above dates, we highly recommend attending both days to get the most of out this interactive workshop! Location: Holiday Inn Yorkdale - 3450 Dufferin Street, Toronto ON, M6A 2V1 Breakfast, lunch, and refreshments will be provided. Registration is limited to VAW agencies funded by the Ministry of Community and Social Services. To view a list of qualifying agencies, please click here. An email to register was sent last week. If you didn't get yours or would like more information, email us today. You won't want to miss out! Come prepared to engage, expand, and grow together! By Bianca Caputo, WomanACT Social Media Team Welcome to 2018! With a new year ahead of us, WomanACT would like to thank all of our amazing sponsors for their contribution to making a difference! 3M Annalay Accessories Arbonne International by Kristie Art by Daria Sukman Arthur Murray, Yorkville Beer Lovers Tour Downey's Estate Winery Egyptian Dance Academy Enville Event Design and Catering Girls Night Out Wines Haartek Salon Half Baked Glass Company Holiday Inn, Yorkdale Starvox Entertainment Steam Whistle Brewing Vibe Studio Vineland Estates Winery On Saturday, October 28th, 2017, Body of Four Martial Arts Academy hosted a community fundraiser in support of WomanACT. Participants had the opportunity to attend a free women's self-defence learning session! WomanACT would like to give a big thank you to Body of Four MAA for hosting; See the slideshow below for pictures from this event! Harmy Mendoza, Executive Director of WomanACT, is "very thankful to receive the support of our community, strong young women who value our work. Many, many thanks". If you are interested in hosting a third-party fundraising event in support of WomanACT, we encourage you to contact us via email! Click here to send an email. Funds raised in such events will go towards the important work of our agency. All donations, whether large or small, make a huge difference and enable WomanACT to better facilitate Toronto-wide integrated and coordinated responses to issues pertaining to women and children experiencing violence. If you are unable to host a fundraising event and would like to support WomanACT, click here to make a donation. We thank you in advance for supporting WomanACT! Soul of a Warrior Updates: Nomination Deadline Extended and Early Bird Tickets on Sale Now12/19/2017 By Bianca Caputo, WomanACT Social Media Team  Attention all Warriors, WomanACT has two big announcements for you!... The deadline for the Soul of a Warrior Awards is being extended until January 15th! This gives you an extra fifteen days to get your nominations in. Click here to read about each award and nominate a warrior now! And.... Early bird tickets for the Soul of a Warrior Awards Gala are NOW ON SALE! For the price of $125.00, you are able to attend WomanACT's Soul of a Warrior Awards Gala on Thursday, March 8th, 2018. This ticket includes:
With the purchase of each gala ticket, you will be eligible to receive a $25.00 tax receipt. On January 15th, 2018, the early bird ticket option will no longer be available and the price of each ticket will be raised to $150.00. You don't want to miss out on this chance! To purchase tickets to the 2018 Soul of a Warrior Awards Gala, click here. We are very excited to see you all in March! But while you're patiently waiting for March to roll around... here's a sneak peak at the silent auction for this years gala.   Can't attend the gala but still want to make a contribution? Make a donation today and help WomanACT better facilitate a Toronto-wide integrated and coordinated responses to issues pertaining to women and children experiencing violence.
By Bianca Caputo, WomanACT Social Media Team ATTENTION ALL WARRIORS! WomanACT is extending the nominations deadline for the Soul of A Warrior Awards until the end of December! Do not miss out on your chance to nominate a front-line warrior who goes above and beyond to foster change in the VAW sector. There are four categories to nominate:
Take the opportunity and nominate now! For more details about each category or the nomination process, visit WomanACT's Soul of A Warrior webpage. By Bianca Caputo, WomanACT Social Media Team As you may have read in our previous blog, Bill 157 (an amended version of Bill 148) pushed for:
On Friday, November 7th, The Toronto Star reported that victims of domestic violence will soon be allowed 5 days of paid leave and a further 15 weeks of unpaid leave as part of a revamp of provincial labour legislation. Peggy Sattler, Ontario NDP critic for Women’s Issues, Education, and Skills Development says, "New Democrats will continue to call for mandatory workplace training on domestic violence and sexual violence, to ensure that survivors feel comfortable accessing leave and to raise awareness of the impact of violence and the warning signs that a co-worker may be experiencing abuse". This is an incredible accomplishment and a huge step in the right direction. WomanACT would like to thank Peggy Sattler and Andrea Horwath for proposing these bills and strongly advocating for those affected by DV/SV - we will always support your amazing work for the VAW sector. Click here to read the full Toronto Star news article! |
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