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Shelter from the Storm

Toronto , Ontario , May 2, 2007 – Three in five Canadian adults (61%) say they personally know at least one woman who has experienced physical or sexual abuse, according to a survey released today by Canadian Women’s Foundation.  

Commissioned as part of Shelter from the Storm, a national fundraising and awareness campaign that supports 455 shelters for abused women and their children, the survey explores current views and attitudes about violence against women among Canadian adults.  

“This survey tells us two things,” says Beverley Wybrow , Executive Director of the Canadian Women’s Foundation, “One: There is a large gap in awareness about how widespread physical and sexual abuse is, especially considering the high percentage of people who personally know a woman who has been abused. Two: We have made progress – if more people know a woman who has experienced abuse, we can assume that more women are talking about their experience, which suggests there are fewer stigmas about disclosing abuse, and that more women are hopefully leaving abusive situations.”

 Violence against women remains a critical issue in Canada . Though spousal homicides declined by half between 1974 and 2000, there are still one to two women murdered every week, and that is only the tip of the iceberg: for every woman murdered in a year in Canada, there are over 1,500 women and children who go to a shelter to escape abuse.

Survey Findings

Younger people are more likely to personally know a woman who has experienced physical or sexual abuse: Of the 61% of Canadian adults who say they know a woman who has experienced abuse, those 55 and older are less likely to say they know someone (52%) than those aged 35-44 (65%) and those aged 45-54 (69%). This suggests that younger people may be more comfortable than older people disclosing abuse to someone they know, or may be more aware of the issue.  

Western and Atlantic Canadians are more likely to personally know a woman who has experienced physical or sexual abuse: Canadian adults living in the Western and Atlantic Provinces are more likely to say they know a woman who has experienced physical or sexual abuse (ATL: 66%, MB/SK: 67%:, AB: 69%, and BC: 67%), versus those living in Quebec or Ontario (53% and 60% respectively).  

More women than men personally know a woman who has experienced physical or sexual abuse (67% versus 54%).  

Seventy six per cent underestimate the number of women who have experienced physical or sexual abuse: Despite 61% knowing a woman who’s been abused, only 24% of those surveyed were aware that, in fact, one in two women in Canada (51%) has experienced physical or sexual abuse. Fifty four per cent believe that one in 10 women in Canada has experienced physical or sexual abuse, while 16% say one in 100 women, and 6% say one in 1000 women.

About Shelter from the Storm

Shelter from the Storm raises funds to support 455 shelters for abused women and their children across Canada and community violence prevention programs that are breaking the cycle of violence. Services include:

·            Helping women and their children to rebuild their lives after violence

·           Outreach to women who are at greater risk of experiencing abuse 

·            Teaching youth how to develop healthy relationships and prevent violence from happening in     their own lives

·            Counselling for children who have witnessed violence, to help them heal and prevent them from becoming victims or abusers themselves

Shelter from the Storm runs from April 16^th to May 13^th and includes many ways for people to contribute:

·            Winners and HomeSense stores across Canada are selling Shelter from the Storm t-shirts and teddy bears. The net proceeds from the sale of these items will be donated to the campaign. People can also make a $2 donation and show their support by signing their name on a cut-out.

 ·            On May 10^th Rogers Media radio stations across Canada will broadcast radio-thons to share survivors’ stories, raise awareness of the issue and encourage listeners to donate.

 ·            On May 10^th Winners and HomeSense will hold “Shop ‘til it Stops”, a cross-Canada sales event in which a percentage of the day’s sales go to Shelter from the Storm.

 ·            On May 10^th Canadians can make a $2 donation at any BMO Bank of Montreal branch and sign their name on a cut-out.  

·            People can make a secure donation any time during the campaign at any BMO Bank of Montreal branch or online at www.stopviolence.ca.

 Shelter from the Storm is an initiative of the Canadian Women’s Foundation and its campaign partners: Winners and HomeSense, Rogers Media and BMO Financial Group.

About Canadian Women’s Foundation

Canadian Women’s Foundation (CWF) is Canada ’s only national public foundation dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls. The Foundation raises money and makes grants to end violence against women, move low-income women out of poverty, and build resiliency in girls. Since 1991 CWF has funded over 500 programs that are working to end violence against women.

 

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