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Atira helps end violence against women and children. The Painter Sisters provides women affected by violence and who face barriers to employment with a skill that allows them to regain entry to full-time employment (where employment opportunities are flexible and in high demand) and to attain financial independence.

Yayem Digital Storytelling Project provides youth and mentors diverse in age, race/ethnicity, religion, class, ability, sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation with the support, skills, and equipment they need to create original digital stories. The stories are part of a storytelling tradition that lives at the heart of human experience - a gripping form of personal communication as ancient as language itself. Since the beginnings of humankind, we have shared through stories the events, beliefs, and values held dear by our families, communities, and cultures.

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The British Columbia Teachers' Federation is holding a staff event on Dec 6th and encouraging all teachers to hold such events. We have sent out 16 Days of Action posters and action sheets for teachers to all the schools in the province. We have distributed book marks to all schools in the province about violence against women.

BCTF has developed a new workshop call Resisting Normalized Sexual Violence against youth for teacher training. It offers teachers strategies for supporting students who have experienced dating and relationship violence or to prevent it from happening. As well, it gives teachers lesson plans and teaching support to raise the issue in their classroom and provide students with resources they may need.

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According to the Battered Women's Support Services every woman has the right to be safe and free from violence. BWSS provides a secure environment in which women and young women are free to express themselves without being judged or threatened. BWSS programs and services include:

* Crisis Line* Counselling & Advocacy* Support groups
* Aboriginal Women’s Program* Legal Advocacy * Victims Assistance Program

* Youth Engagement in Violence Prevention *Education & Training

* My Sister’s Closet – Social Enterprise of Battered Women’s Support Services.
Learn more about programs and services. Visit the BWSS website.
Print the BWSS Strategic Interventions Building Knowledge for the Front-Line Series

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Shelter from the Storm is the Canadian Women’s Foundation campaign to stop violence against women. It is Canada’s largest annual national fundraising and awareness campaign on domestic violence. Every April, supporters, friends and our partners join together to raise funds to helps fund community programs that help women rebuild their lives after abuse; that teach young people about healthy relationships; and that counsel children who have witnessed violence, to help them heal and prevent them from becoming victims or abusers themselves. Stop by CWF's table for brochures, newsletters, infosheets and more! Visit the Canadian Women's Foundation website.

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The Downtown Eastside Women's Centre is a safe place for women. The task of supporting women has become the responsibility of front-line workers. Staff work one-on-one with women to increase their safety and decrease their vulnerability to injury during the reporting process. The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre holds its annual march which reminds us all of the need for a safe environment in which to live.

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Ending Violence Association of BC

EVA is involved in a joint event with FREDA being held Monday, December 5, 2011.

* Invitation: "Research Presentation 'The Rossiter Report'"
* Please visit the JIBCÂCentre for the Prevention & Reduction of ViolenceÂ(CPRV) website.

* Be More Than A Bystander; Break the Silence on Violence Against Women,Âwith the BC Lions Football Club, December 6th at the Surrey Tax Centre: a talk about the importance of men speaking up about violence against women.

* Ghosts of Violence Ballet by Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada Dec 1 & 2 (co-sponsor).

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Feminist Research Education Development Action (FREDA)
Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children

FREDA is planning a joint event with EVA being held Monday, December 5, 2011.

Invitation: "Research Presentation 'The Rossiter Report'"
Please visit the JIBCÂCentre for the Prevention & Reduction of ViolenceÂ(CPRV) website.

Read or save the Rossiter Report Executive Summary.

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Out In Schools is about smashing stereotypes and making schools safer
for all students. During the 2010–2011 school year Out in Schools reached
more than 8,000 youth with more than 80 workshop presentations. With
projects such as the Anti-Homophobia Student PSA competition and the
No Hate Youth Filmmaking Bootcamp, the impact of Out in Schools is
immeasurable! Make schools in BC safer. Visit Out In Schools website.

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Transphobia and homophobia affect everyone. Therefore, no matter what your gender identity or sexual orientation, everyone is welcome at OOC. We welcome our non-queer friends and allies to join us in fi ghting for the right to love who and how we want. We are a department of the Simon Fraser Student Society and a volunteerrun organization. Visit the Out on Campus website.

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Progressive Intercultural Community Services (PICS) is a registered non-profit charity organization and a United Way member agency. We have strong relationships with funders and related organizations, and have successfully developed joint projects and sponsored new organizations.

To remain effective and dynamic, PICS continues to build on its strengths in partnership with the South Asian community. We have grown to offer a wide range of employment programs, English Language Services for Adults (ELSA), seniors housing, and we currently serve 50 people daily in the Surrey head office and 35 people daily in the Vancouver office. PICS currently has a staff of over 100, and 15 active volunteers.

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Pivot Legal Society’s mandate is to use the law to address the root causes of poverty and social exclusion. Our name is metaphor for our approach to social change — by making the most tangible violations of human rights the focal point of our efforts, we exert maximum pressure in order to shift society toward greater equality and inclusivity.
Visit the Pivot Legal Society webpage.

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The Philippine Women Centre of BC is made up of members who recognize the need to study, organize, and act on the issue and deepen the understanding of women’s struggles in the Philippines, Canada, and the world. Through the efforts of six Filipino women, the PWC was conceptualized in 1986 and was formally launched in February 1990. Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance/Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada (one of our affiliated organizations under the Kalayaan Center) is celebrating their 16th year anniversary on December 9th @ 6pm at Rhizome Cafe. Entrance is sliding scale $5-10 but no one is turned away. Come celebrate the 16 years of educating organizing and mobilizing!

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SFU Women’s Centre’s 5 point Mandate:
* Pro-feminist * Sex-Positive
* Pro-choice* Trans and Intersex Inclusive
*Anti-Racist
The Women’s Centre is committed to building a campus community that is safe for people of all genders, races, religions, abilities, and sexual orientations. This is accomplished by organizing numerous events and ongoing programs.

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Since 1978, South Fraser Women's Services Society, a registered charity, has provided free resources, support and counselling for women. For many women and their families our drop-in centre is the initial contact for women coping with violence and/or poverty issues. We offer a safe and confidential environment in which to connect with other women and access direct services, crisis peer support, professional counselling, legal information and advocacy, professional referrals and resources, facilitated support groups and educational opportunites. South Fraser Women’s Services Society partners with the community to provide resources, programs and support to improve the lives of women and their families.

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During the 16 Days, the Vancouver Status of Women organization is hosting a psychodrama workshop on Saturday, Dec. 3rd from 12:30 to 4:00 pm at Kiwassa Neighbourhood House. The workshop is for any self-identifi ed single mothers, with the purpose of creating healing from violence through creative expression and the arts.

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Women helping women help themselves is what Vancouver Women's Health Collective is about. We are a non-profit women's organization whose mission is to value women's knowledge and to support one another to take charge of our own health. We provide a safe and welcoming environment for all self-identified women seeking health information and services.

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WAVAW

For December 6th WAVAW will be out on the North side of the Art Gallery facing Georgia Street from 11:00am-1:00 pm. WAVAW will be engaging with the public and distributing material about December 6th and stopping violence against women. WAVAW will be joining the Honouring Ceremony for Metis Women at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre at 1607 East Hastings from 2:00-5:00pm. One of our staff members will be performing in the Metis Women: Strong and Beautiful Project launch.

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WE CAN End ALL violence against Women is partnering with SFU Woodward's Cultural Unit to present the Ghosts of Violence Ballet by Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada Dec 1 & 2. We Can End All Violence Against Women is an ongoing campaign in British Columbia that focuses on public education and action to end gender-based violence. Through our partners we work with diverse communities and groups bringing awareness and recruiting individuals as Change Makers. Our latest action was supporting a provincial youth program that empowers young men and women to become Change Makers in their communities.

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West Coast LEAF

Rights Based Legal Aid: Rebuilding BC’s Broken System (co-published with CCPA)

2011 CEDAW Report Card
or visit West Coast LEAF's Document Download Centre

We address violence against women issues in many aspects of our work, including: we run an educational program in schools (called No Means No) which teaches youth about sexual consent and their rights in relationships; we assess how well BC is measuring up to international standards on preventing and addressing violence against women in our annual CEDAW report card; we are in the process of producing a research report on the impact of psychological assessments of parents in custody and access determinations, with a particular focus on family violence; we campaign for greater access to legal aid in family law, a key issue for women leaving violent relationships; and we are closely monitoring the Missing Women Inquiry, although we were denied funding to participate directly. Every aspect of our work recognizes that women cannot realize their right to equality without realizing their right to security of the person within and outside relationships.

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The WISH Drop-in Centre Society is operated by women for the exclusive use of female survival sex workers, the WISH Drop-In Centre Society is a registered non-profit society that furnishes a variety of services within a nurturing and non-judgemental environment. For more information about our organization, brochures are available at the WISH table. In addition to meeting essential needs by serving nutritious, hot meals, providing showering facilities, dispensing make-up, hygiene items, and clothing, WISH offers on-site nursing care, referrals to detoxification centres, rehabilitation houses, and shelters for upwards of 120 women per night. Our programs, including Literacy and a Learning Centre have been hugely successful in providing opportunities to participants to engage in positive, empowering activities in a safe place.

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Visit the YWCA Metro Vancouver website.

The YWCA raises awareness of the effects of violence in society and educates youth about behaviours and attitudes that are fundamental to healthy relationships. We fight for reforms and supports that enable women to make a successful transition to economic independence and offer housing support and the following programs for women leaving abusive relationships:

* Munroe House is a second-stage transition house for women and their children who have left abusive relationships.

* The Children Who Witness Abuse program is offered at Munroe House and uses one-to-one counselling, workshops and art/play therapy to help children identify their feelings and express them in a healthy way.

* The Violence Outreach Program at YWCA Crabtree Corner, located in the Downtown Eastside, provides support for women who experience violence in their relationships.

* The Legal Education Program offers one-to-one legal support, education on a wide range of legal topics and provides specific resources and referrals.

* Week Without Violence is a nationwide violence prevention initiative organized by YWCA Canada to unite Canadians against the violence that exists in our communities.