On any given day in Canada, 3,000 women and 2,500 children are living in an emergency shelter to escape violence at home. On average, every six days in Canada a woman is murdered by her intimate partner. Physical and sexual abuse costs Canadians over $4 billion a year in social services, criminal justice, lost wages/productivity and healthcare.
Women’s shelters direct our funding to meet their greatest needs and priorities. Shelters use our funding to provide critical services such as: trauma counseling; job training and placement; emergency transportation to the shelter; play therapy for children; homework help for youth; renovations to existing shelters; and building new shelters. In some cases, the funds are used to help women and children after they leave the shelter and move into their own accommodations.
We’re a founding partner of Fourth R, an education program delivered in 5,500 schools in North America. In partnership with the Canadian Women’s Foundation, we support national programs that help women and children heal and rebuild their lives after violence, prevent them from becoming victims or abusers themselves, and help teenagers recognize and avoid abusive relationships.