| February 18th, 2012 - Orillia |
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Working to end violence against women "It's just uncomfortable and lots of people just don't know what to do," explained Lee Avrahami of New Path Youth and Family Services' partner abuse program. "That's what we are trying to change by training people in workplaces to recognize the signs of violence and then what to do when they have a suspicion about a woman." Neighbours, Friends and Families (NFF) is a public education campaign to raise awareness of the signs of abuse against women so people can help. The NFF workplace champion program provides comprehensive education and training for all levels of an organization. Businesses participating in NFF were recognized in Orillia by the Simcoe County Violence Against Women co-ordinating committee Friday night. Similar ceremonies were held in seven communities across Ontario at the same time. Certificates were also presented to individuals who had completed training and will now visit workplaces to share their knowledge. At the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka, trainers focused on youth services staff to spread the word through its outreach program, which reaches more than 600 young people each year. "We work with youth at risk, and for many of the females we serve, it is likely that they are victims of domestic violence," said Brian Shelley, vice-president of youth engagement programs and camping. "We believe this program can help us to make this a safer community, and that's what it is all about." The provincial government began NFF as a response to high-profile cases in which women were murdered by their spouses while co-workers did not recognize several important signs that those women were at risk. The NFF workplace program supports employers and employees in recognizing signs of domestic violence, responding appropriately and referring to the expertise of local support services in relation to violence against women. Simcoe County is in the first phase of a three-phase training schedule. As executive director of the Green Haven Shelter for Women, Liz Westcott works with women who have fled domestic violence and she believes more would escape if they had greater support from friends and co-workers. She believes the NFF workplace program is already having a positive effect. "I haven't done a presentation in the past 20 years where there wasn't at least one or two disclosures afterward," she said. "The situation is epidemic. We are introducing a higher level of awareness and that is going to make a difference." So far, 23 workplaces in Simcoe County have joined the program and Westcott said 2012 is a building year. newsroom@orilliapacket.com |
