Family Violence Initiative

COMPENDIUM OF PROMISING PRACTICES TO REDUCE VIOLENCE AND INCREASE SAFETY OF ABORIGINAL WOMEN IN CANADA

INTERACTIONS WITHIN COMMUNITIES

Healthy Relationships: Women

Program Name:

Aboriginal Women's Support Network

Organization/Community:

Canadian Red Cross

Location:

Lethbridge, Alberta

Website:

www.redcross.ca

Goals and Objectives:

To ensure that urban Aboriginal women learn about community resources that will allow them to understand how to prevent abuse and to use their voice to advocate for themselves.

Target Group Description:

Urban Aboriginal women (18 and up)

Program Description:

The program provides space and opportunity for urban Aboriginal women to meet as a group and learn how to stop the cycle of abuse. The program runs workshops designed for women to first build rapport with one another to develop a bond of trust. Partners of the program come to the workshops to teach the women. Police and child welfare services run information sessions informing clients of their rights and their responsibilities. Elders are brought in to teach an historical context on the history of abuse and its roots in events such as residential school experiences and the "Sixties Scoop". The program provides child care for attendees as well as travel expenses and meals.

Program Successes/Impact:

An increase of public awareness of the program has allowed program to help more clients in each successive year of operation.

Key Lessons/Challenges:

Difficulty in renewing funding from year to year. Difficulty in providing transportation to clients to and from program.

Program in operation since:

2009.

Program:

Ongoing.