Woman abuse is not a women's issue, it's a human rights issue, and affects us all. Together we can work to end woman abuse, because we all have the right to feel safe and secure.

"One in three women may suffer from abuse and violence in her lifetime. This is an appalling human rights violation, yet it remains one of the invisible and under-recognized pandemics of our time. Violence against women is an appalling human rights violation. But it is not inevitable. We can put a stop to this." Nicole Kidman

Ask yourself, what can you do?

· Educate yourself on violence against women; learn the facts and the prevalence
· Believe survivors
· Speak out against all forms of violence
· Don’t blame victims, and reinforce that abuse is never the victim’s fault
· Learn about power and control tactics
· Advocate for victim’s rights
· Be courageous; don’t be afraid to speak up for those who have lost their voice or dignity
· Praise women and girls for something other than the way they look
· Applaud others who speak out against violence and oppression
· Pledge to never commit or condone acts of violence
· Make a decision to become an active bystander by speaking up and calling for help when necessary
· Hold perpetrators accountable for disrespecting their partners when you see it or hear it
· Engage others in discussions about violence against women

Part of our mandate is to educate the public about violence against women. If you had a friend or family member in need of help, would you know what to do? Would you recognize the signs of abuse? Most of us probably recognize a healthy relationship, but may have trouble articulating what it is that makes it healthy. If you want to help a friend or family member, call us. You don’t have to be in crisis to seek our help.

Business Line 519.396.9814; Support Line 519.396.9655; Toll Free 1.800.265.3026; Sexual Assault Support Line 1.866.578.5566

For the whole month of November we will be sending out a lot of information on our social media pages (Insta: @womens.house.bruce.grey / FB: Women’sHouseServingBruce&Grey) and partnering with many local businesses to help raise awareness, foster prevention, and raise funds to help Women’s House Serving Bruce & Grey to continue to provide the support that the women and children that reach out to us need to rebuild their lives. Please help us to spread the word and make a difference, by liking and sharing our posts, and, if you are able, please participate in our fundraising during the month of November. Some of the initiatives you’ll see this month are:

· “Stay Safe” Mask Donation Drive: for every $20* donation, as a "thank you", we'll send a specially designed WH mask (details apply) to help you Stay Safe while you are joining us to work towards eliminating violence against women, and also helping the women we support to Stay Safe too – you can make your donation through the link provided on our social media pages, or find the link on our website at whsbg.on.ca. We hope you will wear your mask proudly, and keep the conversation going
· Social Media posts on WHSBG Statement of Principles and Articles written by WH staff
· Storefront displays
· Information cards at local businesses and included with partnership purchases
· HerStory Grey-Bruce Partnership to share stories and awareness
· Hoity Toity Cellars Partnership
· Grey Matter Beer Company Partnership – all proceeds from November 19th Special Thursday Brew Release will be made to WH …. Watch our social media platforms for more details as they are released

Want more information? Email [email protected] or call 519-396-9814 ext 225 and provide your email, and we’ll send you our Fall/Winter Newsletter with more information and ways you can build awareness and help prevent woman abuse. Keep the conversation going and take action to make women abuse a thing of the past.

source: media release, Women's House Serving Bruce & Grey