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Family Violence Prevention Month:
Violence is Never “Unforeseen” – How You Can Help End Domestic Violence

November is Family Violence Prevention Month (FVPM) in Alberta. Purple ribbons and candles in windows are symbols that remind us of the pervasiveness in the issue – almost everyone knows someone who has been impacted by family violence. In fact, 64% of people in Canada know a woman who has been physically, sexually, or emotionally abused¹. Family Violence Prevention Month is a time for communities to raise awareness, to share information and resources, and to talk about what we can do together to address this serious issue. Domestic violence continues to be an urgent problem in our province and around the world. It’s been called the “shadow pandemic” –– and the data is showing that the severity of violence is on the rise². During pandemic times, even though the resounding message was “stay home, stay safe,” for some people, home is the opposite of safe. Approximately every six days, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner.³

When people think about domestic violence shelters, they often think of a physical space where someone can turn, a safe place to stay when they’re in crisis. And while that’s true, shelters also provide much more than a bed, roof, and walls. Shelters exist to support survivors as they transition to a life free from violence – whether it's a temporary place to stay, or a longer-term one, access to safety planning, support navigating the legal system, childcare, or a myriad of other services delivered from the frontlines.

But many people don’t know that in addition to all the violence intervention work shelters do, they also do prevention work – educating and connecting with their communities through schools, sports teams, and workplaces, to get people talking about a topic that used to remain hidden behind closed doors. Stopping violence before it starts means changing the culture, and this begins by giving people the tools to have impactful conversations.

The Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters, which advocates for its 39 member organizations operating 50 shelters across Alberta, has been tackling prevention work for decades and officially launched Leading Change™ 15 years ago. Leading Change™ is the call to action of ACWS, and the prevention arm of the organization that offers training and workshops in the community, conducts research and consultation, and connects with the public through awareness campaigns.

ACWS also trains member shelters to be able to offer Leading Change™ programs in their local communities, through “train the trainer” programs. In the last year alone, Leading Change programming reached almost 6,000 individuals, including secondary and post-secondary students, lawyers, healthcare providers, elite athletes, sports fans, construction workers, safety professionals, and more.

Leading Change helps participants develop skills for real life situations, like how to “call someone in” if they encounter a teammate or a colleague using derogatory language or making inappropriate remarks. Big changes start with many small ones. Leading Change asks us to challenge uncomfortable moments and ultimately shift the culture to be more inclusive and supportive. Letting someone know that sexist language isn’t okay is one small thing that can add up to make a big difference.