Women's Directorate Violence Prevention - Women's Directorate

Violence Prevention

In November 2005, a website was developed by the Women’s Directorate to provide useful information to women living with violence and for people wishing to support those women. www.stopviolenceinyukon.ca is an online reference tool that provides practical planning suggestions and options for making change.

The Yukon Family Violence Prevention Act is now on-line at this web site, as is a brochure describing the new Act.

Violence Prevention Initiatives

2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996

2000

Options, Choices, Changes, a resource booklet for women in abusive relations is re-issued in July.
Based on the success of its 1999 radio production on domestic violence, the Directorate, Family Violence Prevention Unit and the Yukon Liquor Corporation again collaborated to produce a radio drama. "A Little Respect" is a five-part series for teens and their parents. It follows the lives six teenagers from various backgrounds and explores some of the issues and problems they encounter. "A Little Respect" aired in May, 2000, during Sexual Assault Prevention Month.

1999

The Women's Directorate, Family Violence Prevention Unit and the Yukon Liquor Corporation produced a six-episode radio drama on domestic violence that was aired on CHON during Women Abuse Prevention Month in November. Counsellors from the FVPU provided insightful commentary following each of the episodes.
As in previous years, the Directorate also sponsored a Speakers' Roster of resource people who gave presentations on issues relating to domestic violence to a number of community organizations throughout the month of November.
A three-day Circumpolar Women's Conference was held in November and brought together women from around the circumpolar north to discuss a diverse range of issues including violence against women and women's economic security.
The Directorate released and distributed its fifth edition of A Yukon Directory of Services and Resources on Family Violence.
In conjunction with Justice, the Directorate produced a brochure outlining the highlights of the Family Violence Prevention Act.
In its role as Co-Chair of the FPT Status of Women Working Group on Violence Against Women, the WD was instrumental in the development and production of Preventing Violence Against Women: A Strategic Framework. This document was released by Status of Women Ministers at their annual meeting in PEI in July.
Options, Choices, Changes, a resource booklet for women in abusive relationships was adapted from the Nova Scotia manual, Making Changes, and released in the Yukon in June. The Directorate worked with local resource people from women's shelters, women's and legal organizations to make a Yukon-specific resource.
The program, Young Women of Grit, took place for the third summer. This program, co-sponsored by the WD and the Youth Achievement Centre, H and SS, encourages young high-risk women to participate in an outdoor wilderness program building self esteem, learning leadership skills, dealing with conflict, and promoting personal healing. As in last year, the Directorate's STEP student participated as one of the guide/facilitators.
For the fourth time, the WD STEP student produced the Youth Commotions newsletter, highlighting youth projects funded by the Youth Investment Fund. Many of these projects focus on violence prevention and building self esteem.
Gender Equity Awareness Week, April 11 - 17, was held for the first time this year, a concept of the Gender Equity Implementation Committee (GEIC). The committee is comprised of representatives from Education, Yukon Teachers Association, les EssentiELLES, the Yukon College Women's Studies Program, Victoria Faulkner Women's Centre, representatives from school councils, and is chaired by the WD.
The WD wrote and distributed It All Adds Up, the reader-friendly version of the Gender Equity in Public Schools Policy.
The Directorate released an educational video, In the Heat of Passion, on the need for reform of the defense of provocation. The WD produced this video in memory of murder victim, Susan Klassen.

1998

In its role as co-chair of the F/P/T Status of Women Violence Against Working Group, Yukon played a large role in the drafting of the Iqualuit Declaration, a joint statement made by Status of Women Ministers across the country in their Legislative Assemblies, on or around December 6th. The Iqualuit Declaration reiterates their commitment to ending violence against women and outlines their strategies to do so.
The Directorate and the Department of Justice were instrumental in the establishment of a part-time Women's Advocate program at the Victoria Faulkner Women's Centre. This position is staffed by a social worker who assists women who are experiencing difficulties in family, legal, social, health or economic issues.
GEIC hired a gender equity consultant, developed an implementation plan in consultation with partners in education and established pilot projects on gender equity in four Yukon schools. The implementation plan was aimed at helping everyone -- students, staff, administrators, departmental staff, school councils/boards, parents and the community at large, to ensure safe, equitable environments in the schools. The pilot projects were held at Porter Creek Sr. Secondary, Hidden Valley, Watson Lake Secondary and St. Elias Community School.
In November, the Freedom from Violence: A Basic Human Right symposium was held in conjunction with Vision TV's celebration of Human Rights. Judge Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond was a guest speaker. The one-day symposium was organized by an inter-agency committee (representatives included the Directorate and women's organizations). Approximately 50 participants from around the Yukon attended.
Directorate policy staff worked on inter-departmental committees to develop the government's Anti-Poverty Strategy, Youth Strategy, and Older Persons Strategy.

1997

The Directorate sponsored Yukon Educational Theatre to tour rural Yukon communities to conduct conflict resolution workshops for elementary students throughout the Yukon.
Women in Leadership Conference: A Sharing of Wisdom was co-sponsored by the Directorate, Victoria Faulkner Women's Centre, the Canadian Congress for Learning Opportunities for Women, Les EssentiELLES, Women's Business Network, Yukon College, and Dana Naya Ventures.
The Directorate worked with the Department of Justice, Partners in Children, and others on developing a workshop for divorcing and separating parents. From these discussions, For the Sake of the Children, based on a Manitoba program was set up.
The Directorate produced the 4th edition of A Yukon Directory of Services and Resources, a directory of family violence service providers.
The government introduced the Crime Prevention and Victim Services Trust Act, which establishes a trust and a framework for its administration. The trust funds community-based projects and programs directed at crime prevention and victim services. It is one of several pieces of legislation that encourage the community to become involved in finding solutions to grave concerns such as violence against women.
The Family Violence Prevention Act was introduced. This legislation focuses on the victim by offering three protective court orders that provide several ways in which victims can seek help: an Emergency Intervention Order, a Victim's Assistance Order, and a Warrant of Entry.

1996

The Task Force to Promote Safe Schools report was released in May of 1996 and contained 11 recommendations which were accepted and adopted by the Department of Education.
SAFE TEEN returned to Whitehorse to present workshops in four Whitehorse secondary schools, a self-defense workshop for women, a workshop for men on men's violence, and a workshop for teachers and parents. They also returned to Dawson City to present a number of workshops and public lectures.

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