Members of the public are being encouraged to listen, learn and act as we mark 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
The annual event runs November 25 to December 10.
“Gender-based violence can be seen in many forms of abuse from physical to emotional to financial. Women in our community are victimized by such acts every day,” said Stratford Police Service in a news release.
“Nearly 50 per cent of women report experiencing some form of violence by an intimate partner throughout their lifetime in Canada.”
Police say eliminating gender-based violence might sound like a daunting task, but people can make a difference by doing the following:
- Listen to and support survivors who share their experience, and to the experts who work to help survivors of abuse every day.
- Learn what gender-based violence is, how to spot it, and how we can prevent it and take action.
- Act on the information and apply it in our daily lives.
“Remember, we can all make a difference,” police added.
More information about the signs of gender-based violence and what you can do to help can be found at Optimism Place and the Emily Murphy Centre.
Anyone needing help can call police at 519-271-4141, or the Optimism Place 24-hour support line at 1-800-265-8598.
