November is Family Violence Prevention Month in Alberta.
This is a month where we work to bring awareness to the impacts of family violence and gender-based violence against girls. Did you know:
- Saskatchewan has the highest domestic violence rate in the provinces, with Alberta coming in third
- Every 6 days, a woman in Canada is murdered by her intimate partner
- Indigenous women are killed at 6 times the rate as non-Indigenous women
- Domestic violence has a profound effect on children – children who witness violence in the home have 2 times the rate of psychiatric disorders than children from non-violent homes
- Women are at a greater risk of experiencing elder abuse from a family member, accounting for 60% of senior survivors of family violence
- Canadians collectively spend 7.4 billion dollars annually to deal with the aftermath of spousal violence alone.
What happens locally?
- In the 2019/2020 year, our Emergency Shelter took 2,568 requests for shelter. That is 7 people a day. Unfortunately, 2,200 of them were not able to access our shelter.
- 28 families requested longer term shelter at Dol-Mar Manor, our transitional housing program. Half of them were able to receive shelter.
- 122 women accessed our outreach program.
How can you help?
- We would like you to think about some of the false beliefs and misconceptions you may have about gender-based violence. Learn and understand that it can happen to anyone and almost everyone will know of someone directly impacted by this type of violence.
- Understand that this is a very serious and complex issue in our community right now
- Learn of the resources in our community, such as the Lloydminster Interval Home Society
- Learn how to respond to someone who is experiencing family violence. Do not be afraid to ask them, “How can I help you?” and the point them in our direction
Please reach out to us whether you or someone you know is suffering. Our greatest wish is that we can mobilize our entire community around the issue of family and gender-based violence and support everyone who needs us.
