Project Overview & Objectives Timeline: 24-months ANFCA, AASAS, and ACWS all work toward violence prevention in Alberta for people with different needs and backgrounds. Our leaders believe building relationships is a key strategy to ending violence, especially in the lives of Indigenous women. This project will determine how we can better support survivors at the provincial and local community levels together. Our project objectives are to: build a supportive working relationship between Native Friendship Centres, Sexual Assault Centres and Services, and Domestic Violence Shelters provide gender-based violence (GBV) training materials and resources for support workers improve access to GBV services in communities enhance safety for Indigenous survivors of violence create communities of practice circles at provincial and local levels advocate for better services and systems to support survivors approach change through an inclusive and reconciliation-based lens Our Why Compared to 43% of Albertans who have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime, 66% of respondents who identified as Indigenous reported that someone had perpetrated sexual violence against them. In Alberta, Indigenous women are 7 times more likely to be victims of homicide than non-Indigenous women. Indigenous women reported that they had experienced spousal violence more than 3 times that of non-Indigenous women. Out of all the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls cases in Canada, Alberta is home to 16% of them, and 42% of those cases are unsolved. Impact & Outcomes The main impact of this project is to enhance the well-being of Indigenous survivors of gender-based and sexual violence in Alberta. Our 3 main project outcomes are to build: Trusting, authentic relationships, mutual learning, and shared expertise between ANFCA, AASAS, and ACWS. Culturally-safe services through integration and capacity building. Systems change and policy development within our network, province, and beyond. Member Involvement ANFCA, AASAS, and ACWS will: improve coordination between associations identify challenges in how changes are made to the system create member-specific communications and materials develop best practices for network members Elders, women who have experienced GBV, and local service providers will: develop authentic relationships through a facilitated process identify service gaps locally and provincially work together to improve how quickly changes to the system are made Who We Are Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association (ANFCA): “This initiative will contribute to changing the negative outcomes of violence for Indigenous people including the psychological and behavioural impacts, health and socioeconomic impacts, and their links to the intergenerational transmission of violence and re-victimization. Our three provincial organizations are pleased to work towards creating transformational change through strengthened collaborative relationships.” – Jeannette MacInnis, Acting Executive Director Our Organization ANFCA is the Provincial/Territorial Association of 21 Alberta-based member Friendship Centres. Friendship Centres have provided safe, friendly, welcoming, status-blind Indigenous hubs in urban areas and towns with culturally appropriate programs and services. Our priorities are guided by our member Friendship Centres and are subsequently defined by community needs. Visit Site Contact Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services (AASAS): “We learned from the voices of Indigenous survivors in Canada, in the opening chapter from the Report on MMIWG, that relationships are key to ending violence in the lives of Indigenous people. With this funding, our three organizations will build upon and leverage our relationships to address the high rates of violence Indigenous peoples experience in Alberta as a result of years of colonialism and racism.” – Deb Tomlinson, CEO Our Organization AASAS is a provincial network made up of 14 sexual assault centres located across Alberta. The sexual assault centres provide a continuum of specialized services informed by research, with the highest standards of care delivered by trained professionals. AASAS has worked with community and government stakeholders to raise awareness of sexual violence and to increase access to services and support for affected Albertans. We emphasize innovative approaches to promote and facilitate healing and transformation and justice for those who have experienced sexual violence in our province. Visit Site Contact Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS): “Covid-19 has disproportionately impacted women and Indigenous survivors of violence in a negative way, lighting a fire under our need to respond to this ongoing issue. We’re very excited about this opportunity to work collaboratively with two of the leading violence intervention and prevention organizations in the province to address domestic and sexual violence and as part of our commitment to advance the Calls to Justice from the MMIW.” – Jan Reimer, Executive Director Our Organization The Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters represents 40 emergency and second-stage sheltering organizations for women and children fleeing violence and abuse. The ACWS provides professional development and training, action-based research, and increases public awareness of issues related to family violence for the benefit of abused women and their children. Contact Funding This research project is funded by the Feminist Response and Recovery Fund through Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE). Get access to resources through our project website. Visit the Website In The News "3 Alberta organizations join forces to better support Indigenous survivors of violence: 'Centring Relationships to End Violence’ aims to make support services more accessible."
