Purple Flag Raised at City Hall to Acknowledge Gender Based Violence in Canada

The YWCA along with Mayor Diane Therrien raised a purple flag at City Hall on Thursday to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the first of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, with the Wrapped in Courage campaign.

Representatives from the YWCA and City Hall hold the purple flag wrapped in courage. Those wanting to show support are encouraged to wear a Purple Scarf and use the hashtag #WrappedInCourage on social media.

This is the ninth year the Wrapped in Courage campaign is encouraging Violence Against Women (VAW) shelters to remind their communities that now more than ever violence continues to be the greatest gender inequality rights issue for women and girls.

The Wrapped in Courage Campaign was started by women’s shelters in Ontario to celebrate the strength of women who experience gender-based violence, the 16 days will go through Dec. 6, the anniversary of the massacre at Universite du Montreal's Ecole polytechnique, during which 14 women were killed in an act of femicide.

“We’ve been seeing so many women especially in positions of leadership being slagged or subjected to gaslighting from many people - being called out for being a woman with a strong voice,” said Kim Dolan, executive director, YWCA Peterborough Halliburton. “That’s part of the undercurrent that perpetuates more dramatic forms of violence against women that also leads to women’s deaths.“

On Thursday the YWCA received the 2020/21 Intimate Femicide Report from the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses and found that while last year there were a reported 39 women murdered, this year that number exceeded 50.

“Women are continuing to be murdered, we’re continuing to be victimized by male violence, so wrapped in courage is our opportunity to stand up and start conversations with one another about the violence that we experience in our lives now or the violence that we’ve experienced in the past - it effects all of us,” she said.

Mayor Diane Therrien read a Proclamation during the flag raising signaling a commitment to ending gender-based violence in the community, and ensuring survivors that they are not alone.

“We’re very grateful to the YWCA and all the community partners that do work on this front, we know that it’s something that’s not just today or the next couple weeks, it’s every day,” said Therrien. “It’s not just us it’s the men too, we need to raise awareness and let women out there know that they’re not alone and there is help out there available.”

Therrien noted that while it’s important for men to lead by example, it is just as important to have women in leadership roles.

YWCA Peterborough Haliburton provides safe shelter, resources and support to help women safely escape violent situations, build upon their existing strength, and move forward in their lives. As a member of YWCA Canada, they are part of a global movement dedicated to ending gender-based violence in all its forms.

YWCA Crossroads Shelter, Haliburton Emergency Rural SafeSpace (HERS), and 24 Hour Support & Crisis Line are essential services and remain open at all times. Confidential support, resources, safety planning and information continues to be available to women, as well as the people who love and support them: Call 1-800-461-7656 Text 705-991-0110.

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