North Shore 
VAWIR

This article from the HuffPost speaks to whose stories are being included in the conversations we're hearing publicly about sexual violence. Mainstream media has adopted the phrase "rape culture" -- used for decades by anti-sexual violence advocates -- to talk about the system of beliefs and attitudes that props up abusers while tearing down survivors of violence. This is, arguably, a turning point in the national conversation about sexual violence and gender-based violence in Canada. But which survivors' voices are being heard?

This article from CBS News focuses on how activists, tech companies and law enforcement are navigating this new chapter in the (long) history of violence against women. The new challenge involves getting the public to see that online threats to women are serious, pervasive, and deserving of the same attention as other forms of violence. 

In this article from Huffpost Canada, femifesto interviewed two gender-based violence activists about their views regarding the changing landscape for disabled victims of sexual violence. The interview discusses challenges in mainstream media reporting, how best to create a culture of consent, portrayal of victims in the media, and the current prevalence of rape culture in mainstream media. 

This article from Metro Vancouver explains the complexities faced by filmmakers and actors working on the made-for-TV film, Unclaimed. The challenge of this film was to honour the women who were victims of Robert Pickton, without sensationalizing their murders. Actors, filmmakers, residents, indigenous people, and families of the victims collaborated to ensure the stories of the missing women were accurately represented in the film.

Women fleeing abuse are often faced with many barriers such as lack of support, financial concerns, and an inability to find affordable housing. This article from Huffpost British Columbia explored the complexities of finding housing in Vancouver for victims leaving a violent relationship. Often, these individuals do not have access to their finances and must turn to shelters or transitional homes at the begining of their separation. An interview with a Vancouver resident who successfully left her abuser exemplifies the housing crisis Vancouver is currently facing. 

This article by The Huffington Post shows the disturbing pattern of how mass murderers have previous history abusing and enacting violence on the vulnerable women in their lives. As well as how often this partner abuse will lead to the eventual murder of the victim. It explores the role of toxic masculinity as well as who the victim pool for mass shootings often is. More importantly it asks the question of why domestic violence is not taken more seriously when reported, and whether or not this plays a roll in the progression of crimes? 

This article from North Shore News highlights the relationships being developed between the Squamish Nation and the North Shore Domestic Violence Unit. The coordinating of various units hopes to increase convictions for perpetrators of relationship violence, and provide more effective service for victims and survivors. 

This article from Global News explains that women and children who are trying to access emergency shelter are often turned down due to a lack of space in these facilities. Concerns regarding a lack of affordable housing and the long-term implications of these issues are addressed. 

This article from the Vancouver Sun discusses a recent study conducted by the University of British Columbia, Okanagan, which studied previously incarcerated males. The findings from this study indicated lower levels of violence among the men who had taken a psychedelic drug in moderate doses, when compared with those men who had not.

Due to a history of sexual exploitation and abuse in residential schools among the Tsleil-Waututh community, CBC News finds many of the youth in this community have not receieved comprehensive sexual education. This article attributes the lack of communication about sex to pervasive intergenerational trauma. 

This article from the Vancouver Sun explains a new program implemented in BC - specifically for women fleeing domestic violence, and who hope to obtain employment once they have successfully left their abuser. This is a temporary, part-time program that aids female survivors of abuse in finding employment and being able to continue their lives free from abuse. 

This article from CBC News highlights a recently aired documentary about relationship violence. This article contains an overview of the documentary and some of the current statistics regarding this epidemic.