2015 Report - Women Against Violence Against Women

2 0 1 4 -2 0 1 5 A N N UA L R E P O RT
WAVAW
rape crisis centre
MISSION
S TAT E M E N T
TA B L E O F
CONTENTS
WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre works to end all forms of violence
against women. Guided by our feminist anti-oppression philosophy
we challenge and change thinking, actions, and systems that
contribute to violence against women.
We provide all women who have experienced any form of sexualized
violence with support and healing, and engage with youth to develop
leadership for prevention of future violence.
E X E C U T I V E D I R E CTO R ' S R E P O RT.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
M E S S AG E F R O M T H E B OA R D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
F U N D D EVE LO PM E NT PRO G R A M..................... 8
C OU N SE L L I N G PRO G R A M............................... 12
VISION
A society where all women are free from violence.
2
V I CT I M S E RV I C E S P R O G R A M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4
E D U CAT I O N A L O U T R E AC H P R O G R A M.. . . . . . . . . . . 1 6
VO L U N T E E R P R O G R A M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8
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EXECUTIVE
D I R ECTO R ' S
RE P O RT
we would not be able to realize our achievements.
Written by Irene Tsepnopoulos-Elhaimer - Executive Director
W
AVAW Rape Crisis Centre was incorporated
into the Society Act in February 1983. It
is a true testament to the courage of the
women of WAVAW and the belief in a vision of a world
where all women are free from violence, that we are
still here today, after 32 years.
This past year has been very exciting. We have
continued to be widely recognized and engaged
by media as leaders and experts in sexual assault.
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Executive Director's Report
Our role as advocates and community leaders who
advocate and promote attitudinal and systemic
change to end violence against women has continued
to provide us visibility, and we have garnered much
support for our work. Our supporters recognize
WAVAW’s feminist anti-oppression framework as
essential and foundational to social change.
Our organization is supported to do this work
through the generosity of our donors without whom
This year has been about change and progress as
all staff and board directors participated in 3 days
of Strategic Planning with outside facilitators. This
process was an opportunity for all of us to come
together to engage in the work we do, to educate each
other and dream of the possibilities for the next 3 years.
Our new 3 year strategic plan will guide us to
achieve increased capacity to meet the demands of
women both in staff and resources. We will continue
to devote our resources towards our mission, and we
look forward to working with our funders for support
in ensuring all women receive the services they
need in a timely manner. The increased demands for
services reflect our society’s increased awareness
and acknowledgement of the reality of sexual assault
and violence against women. Our community and
supporters are motivated more than ever to support
women who have been hurt by sexual assault.
For WAVAW, organizational health and wellness is a
value and goal that we continue to devote resources
towards. We provided over 4500 hours of Clinical
supervision support to our staff and crisis line volunteers
this past year. In addition, we provided over 140 hours
of in-house professional development to our staff team.
We are dedicated to maintaining service- excellence
by integrating innovation and responsiveness to
support women and youth. We ensure relevant and
meaningful educational outreach and workshops that
are available to all groups that request our support.
We will say goodbye to Jacqueline Wilson who has
served as a both volunteer Board Director and Chair
for 10 years! Thank you for your leadership, courage
and inspiration and best of luck in all your endeavors.
I look forward to working with our new Board Chair
Vanessa Chase-Lockshin and the entire Board of
Directors to achieve our goals for next year.
Thank you to all staff, volunteers and board of
directors for your dedication, support, humour and
love. I feel honored and happy to be Executive Director
at WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre.
Executive Director's Report
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M E S S AG E F R O M
T H E B OA R D
Vanessa Chase Lockshin
Chairperson
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Message From The Board
Miranda Mandarino
Director at Large
Jacqueline Wilson
Director at Large
Karey Brooks
Director at Large
Katherine Lawrence
Director at Large
Brittany Wong
Director at Large
Nicola Shaw
Director at Large
Ariana McBride
Treasurer
Emma Watkinson
Secretary
A
s I sat down to write this year’s
board report, I tried to think of
one word that best encapsulates
this past year. Many words ran through
my mind - change, growth, vision,
passion, and progress. But in many ways,
those words describe our work every year
and don’t do justice to the nuances and
accomplishments of this past year.
One of the most noteworthy aspects
about this last year has been the increase
in public discussion about violence
against women, which WAVAW continue
to be a part of it. Not only do we contribute
to the public’s ability to understand the
issue, we help them understand the work
WAVAW does to support women who
have been sexually assaulted. It is my
hope that this is just the beginning of
many years of more public engagement
on this important issue.
During the Scotiabank Charity Challenge,
this was our second year participating. Not
only did we set a more ambitious goal than
the year before, we exceeded it raising more
than $40,000. As a group we developed
the next iteration of our strategic plan.
This was the second time that I’ve gone
through the strategic planning process
with WAVAW, and I came away from it with
an even deeper appreciation for the women
that make this organization what it is. One
of the Board’s priorities is creating and
implementing a succession plan, which
we have had some generative discussions
about at board meetings. Finally, after
many years of contemplating a move to a
new location we have secured a new space
that we’ll be moving into come November.
It feels like the start of a new chapter for
WAVAW, though it is bittersweet as we say
farewell to Jacqueline Love Wilson, who
was instrumental in this process.
The Board Chair role is relatively new for
me. I began my first term in September
14th. I was preceeded by Jacqueline, who
has been a member of WAVAW’s Board
for 10 years and Board Chair for 7 of
those years. To say she has left us some
big shoes to fill is an understatement.
Jacqueline has supported WAVAW
through significant leadership, strategic
and visionary thinking, and an unwavering
commitment to our mission and vision.
Jacqueline - on behalf of the Board and all
WAVAW women, thank you for everything!
Reflecting on this year, I think perhaps
the best to describe it is as new shoots.
We often talk about WAVAW being a
grassroots movement. But this year, we
have new shoots that will help us grow in
new ways and continue to serve women
as only we can.
With gratitude,
Vanessa Chase Lockshin
Message From The Board
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OU R G E N E ROUS C O M M U N ITY
We are so grateful for our dedicated supporters.
2014-2015 D I RECT M A I L CA M PA I G NS
SCOTIABANK 2014
Our Scotiabank Annual Campaign proved to be very successful. We surpassed our goal of $35,000
by $6,000. We raised $41,000 in total for the 2014 campaign. Our campaign highlighted shifting
society; challenging a culture of violence that contributes to sexual assault and moving towards a
society where all women are free from violence.
FALL 2014
WAVAW’s first Fall campaign focused on our Victim Services Program, which includes hospital,
court and police accompaniments. Our fundraising goal was $8,000 and with gracious support
from our donors we raised $9,669.
FUND
D E V E LO P M E N T
P RO G R A M
April 2014 – March 2015
Written by Erica McCain, Manager of Fund Development
HOLIDAY 2014
The Holiday campaign is an important opportunity to show appreciation for our donors as well as
a special ask at the end of the year. We focused on the counselling program. We highlighted Amy’s
story of a 14 year old girl who came seeking individual counselling after being sexually assaulted.
Our goal for this campaign was $19,000. We raised $24,979.
IWD 2015
The IWD campaign highlighted our 24 hour crisis line that is available to women around the world
at any time. Our fundraising goal was $9,600. We raised $14,890. In addition, we remodelled our
space from last year’s IWD campaign and held an open house for our supporters who donated to
make this happen.
Fund Development
W
hat an exciting 2014 year for Fund Development! With a great push forward,
and with in-house donations, successful annual appeal campaigns, and great
stewardship methods, we have proven to be more sustainable than ever by building
financial capacity. Much work was completed by the fund development staff.
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Fund Development Program
All of WAVAW’s direct mail appeals give donors insight on our various programs for girls and
women. It is a glimpse into our day to day operations and the services we provide. Our donors are
valuable as they believe and support our mission and our vision for a society where all girls and
women are free from violence.
Fund Development Program
9
T H A N K YO U TO
OUR LONG-TIME
SUPPORTERS
2 YEARS GIVING:
2 , 3 89 D O N O RS
3 YEARS GIVING:
WAVAW’S OPE N H OUSE
With the funds raised for the 2014 IWD Campaign,
we renovated our group space so women coming
to WAVAW can be in a comfortable and safe place
while attending support groups.
2 ,4 4 3 D O N O RS
4 YEARS GIVING:
49 3 D O N O RS
Above: Before renovations. Below: After renovations.
5 YEARS GIVING:
3 3 6 D O N O RS
6-9 YEARS GIVING:
69 7 D O N O RS
OU R TEAM
The Fund Development Team at WAVAW
includes Manager of Fund Development,
a Community Giving Coordinator and a
Part Time Development Assistant with the
addition of a new position, Fund Development
Coordinator, who authors and edits grants,
proposals and data entry. This new
addition has elevated the fundraising
scope to include more strategic fundraising
including: robust major gift, annual appeal
and planned giving programs.
At the end of the fiscal year we welcomed the
new Manager of Fund Development who has
over 7 years of fund development experience.
Erica McCain brought forth an innovative
way of fundraising utilizing her experience to
strategically elevate the program.
TH A N K YOU TO OUR
G R A NTORS
Our 2014-2015 grantors are comprised of
federal, provincial & municipal grantors and
foundations including the following:
City of Vancouver
10 YEARS GIVING:
1 4 3 D O N O RS
Ministry of Justice, Victim Services
and Crime Prevention Division, Civil
Forfeiture Office
BC Gaming
11-12 YEARS GIVING:
75 6 D O N O RS
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Fund Development Program
Department of Justice
Health Sciences Association
BC Association of Friendship Centres
Fund Development Program
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one counselling position in order to decrease
the wait time for counselling. This position, as
well as the ‘Stopping The Violence Counsellor,
attend to women for one-to-one counselling and
support groups.
COUNSELLING
P RO G R A M
April 2014 – March 2015
Written by Khaleda Ebrahimi, Manager of Counselling Programs
T
he counselling services WAVAW provides
serve women in the most vulnerable times
in their lives. The work itself is centred on
building relationships and trust. We take pride in the
relationships we build with the women we serve.
We also bring that same philosophy of building and
maintaining good working relationships with our
funders, stakeholders, donors and partners
We offer counselling, outreach and support groups
for Indigenous women as well as the families of
missing or murdered Indigenous women. In order to
make our services more accessible we offer support
groups in 4 different locations in Vancouver. Our
groups are offered at the WISH drop-in Centre, Rainier
Hotel, Helping Spirit Lodge Society and Aboriginal
Mother’s Centre Society. Our counsellors incorporate
traditional First Nations teachings and Ceremony to
support women in their healing journey.
WAVAW’s Aboriginal Youth program, serving
youth ages 16 to 24, delivers groups at Broadway
Youth Resource Centre (BYRC) and Burnaby Youth
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Counselling Program
Custody Services (BYCS). The youth program offers
life skills workshops incorporating traditional
teaching and ceremony to support youth in their
healing as well as their day to day lives. This past
year, WAVAW Aboriginal youth received training
on Project and Event Management, Event Design,
Staging, Logistics and Financial Management.
The youth applied their skills, in the planning and
implementation of a community-wide event, the
3rd annual Round Dance in March 2015, sponsored
by WAVAW and hosted by Tsleil-Waututh Nation
on their traditional territory. The youth designed
the Round Dance logo, and silk screened t-shirts
which were worn by the Round Dance Volunteers
and gifted as give-away to the participants. Over
500 people attended The Round Dance, including
the Round Dance Chiefs who traveled from Alberta
and Saskatchewan to attend the ceremony, as well
as the drummers and singer who travelled from
across Canada and the United States to take part
in the event.
We received a generous donation that supports
Funding for sexual assault counselling is not
adequate to meet the demand for this service.
Every year, we have seen an increase in numbers of
women calling us. In 2012, there were 101 referrals;
in 2013, there were 170 referrals; in 2014, we had
187 referrals; and this year, 7 months into the year,
we already have 100 referrals for counselling and
groups. A funding increase is the only way to meet
this need because for every woman we take off the
waitlist, 3 more are added.
In this fiscal year, we had 183 referrals for counselling
with 11% between ages 14-19; 42% in their 20s; 22%
in their 30s; 16% in their 40s; and 10% in the 50+ age
groups. The women that call us are women you know.
They are your sister, your next door neighbour, your
classmate, your colleague or your friend. She works,
goes to school, looks after her children/family,
attends to her day to day responsibilities, all the while
waiting to speak to a counsellor. Women use different
strategies to cope with the impact of sexual assault
in order to attend to their day to day lives. Waiting
for over a year to talk to a counsellor should not be
one more thing she has to deal with. This should be
unacceptable in our society.
Despite all the challenges we have been very
creative in stretching our capacity to meet the
needs of women who call us. For example, we
recognize that young girls/women who experience
sexual assault are not likely to wait for over a year
to see a counsellor. It is critical that support is
available for them when they call; otherwise, the
opportunity to provide them the necessary support
may be lost. So, we assign the youth ages 14 to 18
a counsellor as soon as we receive their referral.
This strategy has been useful in attending to the
needs of girls and young women who are reaching
out, and we have been successful in supporting
them in their time of need.
We have also created a monthly drop-in group
for all our clients waiting to receive counselling.
This group offers workshops, tools, resources
and an opportunity for women to come together,
share, learn and reconnect with themselves and
others. The topics include Sustainable Self-Care,
Understanding the Impact of Violence, Healthy
Boundaries, Coping Strategies, Sharing Our Wisdom
and Stories, Taking Space and much more.
We have consistently spoken about the growing
waitlist through media, Facebook, our website
and Twitter as well as through radio, television
and newspapers. We have shared our concerns
with the government in our reports and meetings.
We continue with our commitment to engage our
political leaders and fellow citizens to understand
the high cost of the lack of services for survivors of
sexualized violence. Canada is one of the few wealthy
industrialized nations that does not have a National
strategy to address violence against women. In May
of 2015, the National Action Plan to End Violence
against Women Act (M-444) was introduced in
parliament and our government decided to defeat
that motion. This is a good indication that the
government is not committed to address these
serious social issues that predominantly impact
women and children.
We hope that our government takes notice of
what is important for our society to progress and
thrive. Gender inequality is at the root of violence
against women and it will take resources and a
multilayered approach to addressing it. Sexualized
violence affects too many Canadians with great
personal and public cost. There are 460,000
sexual assaults a year in Canada (Stats Canada),
estimated one every 17 minutes, at a cost of $9
billion a year in health care costs. We need fully
funded services for survivors of violence. WAVAW
is committed to serve women and advocate on
their behalf for more services because we believe
women deserve better.
Counselling Program
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V I CT I M
S E RV I C E S
P RO G R A M
April 2014 – March 2015
24 HOUR CRISIS LINE:
604-255-6344
TO L L F RE E L I N E :
1-877-392-7583
Written by Pauline Funston - Manager of Victim Services and Outreach Programs
I
t has been an impactful and energetic year for
the Victim Services team. The Manager of the
program, Pauline Funston, joined the team
later in the year. Pauline came in to WAVAW with
over twenty years’ experience working on behalf of
women’s equality and she still marvels at what a
small group of women can accomplish together.
The Victim Services team serves women by
emotionally supporting and assisting them to
navigate the police and court systems, and we do
this with heart and determination. We supported 11
women through the court system with 45 hours in
Provincial and Supreme Court. There were 136 new
referrals of women who received support with police,
justice, and hospital. We responded to 1,477 requests
for assistance in safety planning, emotional support
and advocacy. In the 2014 fiscal year, we answered
935 daytime crisis calls.
The Crisis Line is our first point of contact with a
woman seeking our critical support services. Imagine
the courage it takes, after having experienced such
a personal violation, to pick up the phone, dial our
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Victim Services Program
number, and say “I was sexually assaulted.” When a
woman first calls our Crisis Line she may feel anxious,
scared, powerless, or angry. WAVAW’s skilled Crisis
Line Support Workers are there to answer with care,
empathy and options that work for her. We let her
know that we believe and support her, that the sexual
assault was not her fault - that healing is possible. It is
through our Crisis Line that we connect with women
and provide intakes to our Counselling Program and
Victim Services, and provide accompaniments to the
hospital after a sexual assault has occurred.
Our evening volunteer team continues to do an
excellent job supporting women. We saw an increase
in after-hour calls from 3,550 to 3,810 on our 24
hour crisis line. Callers received emotional support,
information and referrals that added up to 690 hours of
empathy, encouragement and, again, determination.
WAVAW provides a unique service to women
who request hospital support after being sexually
assaulted. Our Victim Services hospital support team
are there to meet a woman at the hospital, support
her through the examination and forensics, liaise
with the specialized sexual assault hospital team, and ensure women get home
safely. The Victim Service’s team will also assist the woman with police reports,
accompaniments to crown counsel, court support, and make an application to the
Crime Victim Assistance Program. This past year, we accompanied 68 women
through the hospital process in what can only be described as a life-changing
traumatic experience.
In addition, the Victim Services team expanded their learning to design, develop
and deliver workshops, speak to the media on violence against women, and
train college campus security on how to respond to women who are sexually
assaulted. We participated on panel discussions at the University of BC and
co-facilitated discussions on violence against women with other members of
WAVAW. Truly brilliant!
At WAVAW, we believe that as we walk alongside women in the services we
provide we must positively impact the systems that have historically reinforced
the inequality of women. We often support high profile cases that advocate for
women’s rights and equality. In these higher profile cases, advocacy is important
because it has the potential to shift a very powerful system to meet the demands
of women, and to be more accountable to the people they serve.
The heart and determination I speak of in the Victim Services team is fluid, and
it runs through the whole organization, and spills out into the streets in support
for the undeniable rights of women.
Victim Services Program
15
E D U CAT I O N A L
O U T R E AC H
P RO G R A M
April 2014 to March 2015
Written by Ariana Barer - Coordinator of the Volunteer & Outreach Programs
S
even boys are sitting in a classroom and they’ve chosen to be there. They
are the “cool” boys – the boys who play sports, and date, and make jokes
people want to laugh at. They half listen/half snack while we open the
conversation about masculinity and the objectification of women. Their faces
begin to register the weight of realization as they make connections between
the messages they receive and what they have unintentionally perpetuated.
They talk openly about the influences of media on their lives, and reflect
generously on their own behaviour and the impact it has on those around them.
Part way through the workshop, we notice several boys are on their phones.
We’re worried we’ve lost their focus and their interest. Inquiring about the calls
and texts, they tell us they are actually trying to reach their friend working out
in the gym. “He really needs to hear this,” they say. Sure enough, he shows
up. He’s joined the group late and hasn’t been a part of establishing this
temporary safety and trust. He makes jokes that no one wants to laugh at.
The other boys invite him to “chill.” He doesn’t stay long, but the point has
been made and the original seven are already too far into this exploration of
identity and liberation to be derailed.
They participate eagerly in the final exercise: Dreaming up a new image of
what it means to “be a man.” Together we critique the Man Box image which
shows the narrow, limiting, and unfair ideals men are expected to embody
(inside the box) and the feminine traits and insults men are expected to avoid
(outside the box). Outfitted with a blank piece of paper, felts, their collective
imaginations, and their newfound discoveries and validations from the
16
Educational Outreach Program
workshop, they start to draw. We tell them “the sky is
the limit!” so they draw a cloud. It has beautiful words
in it that defy gender stereotypes and affirm the type
of men they really want to be: “genuine, sensitive, selfassured, level-headed, not needing to mack all the
time/not a horndog, respectful to girlfriend, able to
trust other men, value everybody’s opinion, intelligent,
accepting...” They decide it’s a nimbus cloud and call
it “The Flying Manbis.” We’re full of hope and we can’t
wait for the other four pilot workshops.
This year, WAVAW piloted a new workshop called
Disconnection: Objectification and the Impacts on
our Relationships. In the Disconnection workshop,
we talk about rape culture, pornography, and how
young men can think about how they are impacted
by sexism. It’s about how the social context we
are living in (i.e. objectification of women) impacts
our relationships with each other; how our human
need to be accepted, loved and valued can be coopted by power; and what we can do to shift our
“I felt like it opened my eyes to what
actually goes on in the world. It
wasn’t very pleasing, but the learning
experience was what I liked.”
– High School student
thinking and resist what we’re being sold/told to be
like. It was specifically designed with male youth
in mind in order to combat domestic trafficking
of women and girls. We visited 5 schools and the
project culminated in a public campaign with a
poster mailed out to schools and community youth
organizations, as well as displayed on city buses.
When we speak with adults in the community and
they don’t want to talk about men’s responsibility for
violence against women, or they tell us they aren’t
sure men are ready for these conversations, we tell
them about The Flying Manbis and invite them to join
the discussion that’s already started!
Educational Outreach Program
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VO L U N T E E R
P RO G R A M
April 2014 – March 2015
As if that wasn’t enough, this past year has seen the inspirational rise of the volunteer donor! Our volunteers
have developed and hosted some of the most creative and heartwarming third party fundraisers we have
ever seen. Our volunteers have been incredible bastions of fund development through their deep knowledge
of the organization, its values, and the women we serve.
Written by Ariana Barer - Coordinator of the Volunteer & Outreach Programs
H E R E I S A S N A P S H OT O F
T H E S E S I G N I F I CA N T A N D
ONGOING CONTRIBUTIONS:
W
AVAW Crisis Line and Outreach
Volunteers go through 100
hours of intensive feminist,
anti-oppression training to prepare for the
work they do to support women and reach
out to the community. They contribute
a year on the Line or through Outreach
in exchange. Office Volunteers learn on
the job and contribute 8 hours a week
for at least six months. Many describe
their experience learning with WAVAW
as “transformative.”
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Volunteer Program
All these women are dedicated,
hardworking, and passionate about
ending violence against women. We
are honoured to work alongside them.
This past fiscal year, we received 4086
Crisis Line calls after hours; Outreach
Volunteers represented WAVAW at 18
events in the community; and Office
Volunteers answered phones, helped
with mail-outs, generated graphic
design, and welcomed clients to the
space for 533 hours.
Paige raised $8,000 from her employer after articulating passionately
about the work we do.
Nicky and Melissa organized an enormously successful feminist music
bingo night fundraiser for WAVAW. It was so well-received that it was
picked up as a monthly event with a percentage going to WAVAW,
officially making them monthly donors or Social Change Investors.
Volunteer Program
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Women Against Violence Against Women - Rape Crisis Centre
WAVAW.CA
@WAVAWRCC