“Here are two sobering and real stories about young women in Halifax, Nova Scotia.” Judy Haiven on date-rape drugs, bullying and other types of abuse, what it does to your mindset, how it ruins lives, and how governments and companies allow it to continue.
Jeanne Sarson and Linda MacDonald: “There is, from our perspective, a flawed and dangerous risk to Bill C-7 that may not as yet have been considered—in particular the consequences of societal sexism and relational violence. It is our concern, experienced over the past 28 years of developing supportive care for women who have suffered massively as a consequence of being born into families or having married a male spouse who were non-state torturer-traffickers.”
Jeanne Sarson and Linda MacDonald: What is the life and value of a woman or girl worth? Almost nothing if the hard and painful realities of systemic sexism, misogyny, men’s assaults, torture, and femicides are not laid bare on Nova Scotian soil in a federal-provincial inquiry or review. TW graphic descriptions of rape, violence and torture.
“It is time to insist on our caring wisdom—our choice to become a province focused on eliminating decades—no centuries—of relational misogyny and misogyny within our institutions,” write Jeanne Sarson and Linda MacDonald.
Media release: In the past few years, the public mental health system has stopped offering counselling to people who have survived sexual violence unless they meet specific criteria for Mental Health and Addictions. In return, the public system often refers victims to non-profit services—which are now overworked and unable to meet the increased demand because there has not been a meaningful increase in funds to provide these services.
News release: Today, The Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS) – along with the Atlantic Elizabeth Fry Societies – have learned that a former Correctional Officer at the Nova Institution for Women was arrested and charged with 6 counts of sexual assault, 6 counts of breach of trust, and 1 count of trying to procure sexual service – all related to his work at the Institution.
Media release: Staff of Avalon Sexual Assault Centre have recruited a replacement board of directors to be elected in September, citing board mismanagement as the driving factor that led to critical problems at the Centre this year, including the closure of the therapy waitlist.
This weekend’s Weekend Video, Me too: From hashtags to healing, features some of the expert sexual assault trauma therapists who work for the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre, talking about their backgrounds and the very important work they do.
In September Premier Stephen McNeil said the SANE program should be made available in Truro, NS after a young sexual assault victim sought help from the Colchester East Hants Health Centre but was given pamphlets, and turned away. It is now November, and sadly, we are still waiting for this program. I am inquiring on the status of implementing this much needed program, writes Shelley Sprague in an open letter to the premier.
Weekend video: Over five years, acclaimed filmmaker Andrea Dorfman follows the heartbreaking yet uplifting story of the girls of Meru and their brave steps toward meaningful equality for girls worldwide. In Kenya, one in three girls will experience sexual violence before age 18, yet police investigations are the exception.
See the entire documentary on Sunday afternoon, at FIN, or whatever they call the film festival these days.