Written by Jensen Williams, Public Educator at Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis.

Published on June 4, 2021. 3 Minute Read.

Everyone has a Role to Play in Ending Gender-Based Violence.

At Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis, we provide a wide-range of supports to survivors of sexual violence, domestic violence and human-trafficking (referred to collectively as gender-based violence).

We also firmly believe in addressing the root cause of gender-based violence and using education and advocacy as a proactive tool in combating it.

The #MeToo movement pushed us forward significantly with the general public’s acknowledgement of sexual violence. COVID-19 has also increased public awareness about sexual and domestic violence as we’ve seen statistics that point to an increase in incidences.

Additionally, the barriers for survivors seeking support are higher than ever before as those living with abusers don’t necessarily have the tools available to them to safely make a crisis call or access a safe space such as a friend’s house.

At the root of gender-based violence are unhealthy ideas about relationships, gender roles and a lack of clarity on consent.

Alongside that is of course gender inequality which has contributed to a culture of entitlement to have access to the bodies of women and girls.

Unfortunately because sexual violence is so prevalent, society has normalized to a certain degree that women and girls do not have the same right to safety as everyone else. 

Another important piece of public education work that we do is to challenge harmful attitudes about survivors of gender-based violence. Major barriers to survivors seeking support are fears that they will not be understood, believed and supported. 

Here are a few facts that I want to share with you to combat some commonly held myths to and help you be a supportive resource to survivors:

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