Training Leaders to End Gender-Based Violence

November is Family Violence Prevention Month and we’re featuring the work ACWS is doing towards ending family violence.

Training Leaders to End Gender-Based Violence

Last year our tailored, gender-based violence prevention training influenced over 7,500 individuals with our Leading Change™ program. Participants included athletes, health and safety professionals, theatre artists, and more. Within that work and over a total of 30 sessions, the Leading Change™ team provided 461 Alberta Junior Hockey League players with the tools they need to begin leading the change to end domestic abuse and contribute to a larger culture shift.

Here’s our interview with the Leading Change™ Call to Action Coordinator, Jill Shillabeer.

 

Q. What was the origin of the Leading Change™ program?

A. Leading Change™ was developed over a decade ago in collaboration with Dr. Jackson Katz. His program, “Mentors in Violence Prevention,” is the foundation of Leading Change™ and together, we built a customized program for the work ACWS planned to take on here in Alberta. Over the years, the curriculum has evolved and grown so it can be relevant and relatable to all kinds of audiences.

 

Q. There is a lot in the news about sports culture. You’ve tailored this training to sports teams, too. Who do you work with?

A. The Calgary Stampeders, the Edmonton Huskies, and the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), to name a few. We’ve had some really long-standing partnerships, like with the Stampeders, and some that are newer, like with the AJHL. This year, we hope to welcome more partners in sports and will be celebrating this work at our With the Guys events. (Speaking of, why don’t you RSVP here!)

 

Q. What are these sessions about?

A. We cover a range of topics that relate to gender-based violence and gender equality. We start with the assumption that all participants know that violence is wrong and want to be part of the solution but aren’t always sure how. We make space for folks to discuss what power imbalances look like in practise, to explore how broad gender-based abuse can be. There’s a lot of interest in the topic of consent and especially what it means to ask for and get consent. Like, how do you get consent without killing the mood or how do you respond in a healthy way to hearing, “No” from your sexual partner?

We try to provide insight into the experience of women and how safety is top of mind for most women on a daily basis. Many participants –not just the men and boys –are shocked when they stop to think about how much work women do to stay safe from sexual assault or harassment.

Most importantly, we talk about what it means to be part of the solution: how can participants, as community leaders, be part of the culture shift required to get to a world free from violence and abuse.

 

Q. Most of us never get a chance to talk openly about consent or challenging cultural norms, so this is pretty exciting and brave of them. What has been the response?

A. Sometimes people are a little unsure of us when we walk into a locker room or a community hall, but we work to keep things fun and engaging. That might seem impossible with this subject matter, and there are times when it’s quite serious, but we can have a lot of fun with groups talking through real-life experiences and thinking through how we can all make a difference.

One of the coaches of a football team we worked with said that over the course of a season working with us, there was a marked change in the locker room culture. He said, “We had a good culture before – now we have a great one!”

Another player said, “When I started in hockey, we never had conversations like this; now we are and everyone’s engaged. I’m super proud of where we’re at!” Respect and clear communication are fundamental in violence prevention, and we’ve seen it ripple out time and time again.

 

Q. Is this training happening in other parts of Canada or North America?

A. While there are many great violence prevention programs, Leading Change™ is a uniquely Alberta initiative! Because we are a members-based organization, it’s one of the only programs responsive to what shelters are seeing and experiencing in real time. For instance, COVID changed so many things about how we were all living and one of those things was how people were experiencing and dealing with gender-based violence. Because ACWS is always connecting with our members, we were hearing stories about those experiences and were able to adjust and change our program to match. So, we are uniquely shelter-informed, and we know our training will continue to evolve.

Learn more about Leading Change™ and how your worksite or community might benefit.