Emotional safety: Boundaries for the holidays
The holiday season is a busy time of year. You may find yourself in more situations that put you in contact with your former partner. It can be helpful to plan for these situations in advance by thinking about setting boundaries. Below are strategies for creating an emotional safety plan by setting healthy boundaries with…
Read moreHuman Rights Day: A Time to Reflect and Act Against Intimate Partner Violence
Every year on December 10th, people around the world celebrate and acknowledge Human Rights Day, marking the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. The UDHR affirms universal rights to all people, including the right to live free from violence and discrimination—fundamental to the fight…
Read moreAn open letter from 150 organizations urging for the passing of Bill 173
Led by the YWCA Toronto, Luke’s Place has joined 148 other organizations urging the Ontario government to Pass 173, The Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act, 2024: Dear Premier Ford and Members of the Ontario Legislature, Today marks the 35th anniversary of the Ecole Polytechnique Massacre which saw a man deliberately kill 14 women. Not much…
Read moreRecognizing the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
Today, December 6th marks the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Thirty-five years ago today, a violent femicide took place at Polytechnique Montréal. On December 6, we remember: Since this femicide occurred 35 years ago, femicides have been on the rise. There was a 26% increase in killings of women and…
Read moreLet’s stand against violence together this #GivingTuesday
This #GivingTuesday, we are asking you to stand with us. We are calling on our community to come together and take action against intimate partner violence because together, we can make a difference. Your support matters now more than ever. Why #GivingTuesday #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving, where people around the world take…
Read moreWays a survivor can engage in the GBV movement
As we continue to recognize Woman Abuse Prevention Month and the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), we’ve explored ways that service providers, advocates, lawyers, judges and the broader community can take action to end all forms of gender-based violence. We recognize that many people working in these roles are also survivors, and…
Read moreWe Can’t Wait Anymore, Women are Being Killed; Pass Bill 173 and Declare IPV the Epidemic It Is
Just last week, a woman was killed in Oshawa, and her husband was arrested and charged with her murder. Sadly, this tragedy is not an abnormality. Intimate partner violence is an insidious epidemic, and it is taking lives. Of the 62 women and children killed this past year in Ontario, at least 25 were killed…
Read more3 more powerful ways judges & lawyers can stop violence
A few days ago, we shared some ideas for how lawyers, judges and other legal system collaborators can join in the collective fight to end GBV. These ideas included seeking out more training and education opportunities on issues of GBV and connecting with local GBV organizations in their community. Below we outline a few additional…
Read moreThree powerful ways judges & lawyers can stop violence
As we have been exploring on our blog this month in recognition of Woman Abuse Awareness month, everyone has a role to play when it comes to eliminating gender-based violence. It is only through collective action that we can begin to take meaningful steps to prevent this pervasive form of violence. For us at Luke’s…
Read moreThree effective ways you can stop violence
As we are exploring throughout November, everyone has a role in building safer communities by ending gender-based violence (GBV). Service providers, advocates and others supporting women as they leave an abusive relationship can play an especially important role in ending violence against women. Here are some examples of ways you can take action: 1. Listen…
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