Promising Practices for Distance Counselling for Sexual Violence
In partnership with Anova and Sexual Assault Centre Kingston (SACK), EVA Canada launched a pan-Canadian survey for practitioners on distance counselling for sexual violence. The survey findings revealed the many ways that practitioners have adapted and innovated in the face of increased pressures and client loads. We compiled all of these learnings into a report entitled “Promising Practices for Sexual Violence Distance Counselling” full of tangible tools and takeaways for counsellors.
Sexual Violence: A Public Health Crisis in Need of Proportional Response
Following the 2021 federal election, EVA Canada wanted to ensure that violence against women and gender-based violence were key priorities for the newly elected government. Built on consultations with sexual violence advocates across the country, EVA Canada developed a resource that outlines how and why sexual violence is a key federal issue that should be centered in the action plans put out by party leaders and candidates.
Community Engagement Session on Identifying Priorities for Addressing Sexual Violence in the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence
In March 2021, EVA Canada brought together sexual violence advocates from across the country to share their perspective on how the National Action Plan on Violence Against Women and Gender-Based Violence can meet the needs of survivors of sexual violence and the organizations that support them. The recommendations were centered around the proposed pillars of the National Action Plan including: support for survivors and families, social infrastructure and enabling environment (housing and children), promotion of a responsive legal justice system, prevention, and Indigenous-led responses.
National Survey on COVID-19 and Gender-Based Violence Survivors & Service Providers
In partnership with Anova (Ontario), EVA Canada developed a survey early on in the COVID-19 pandemic to understand the impacts of COVID-19 on gender-based violence services and survivors in Canada. With responses from 376 service providers and volunteers who offered vulnerable accounts of the challenges they faced – and continue to face – through COVID-19, the final report tells the story of the impact of a global pandemic on the “shadow pandemic” of violence against women and gender-based violence. It includes insight on the rates and severity of violence, but also all the ways the sector adapted and formulated actions that are necessary in moving forward to meet the needs of survivors and the organizations that support them.
Environmental Scan on Gender-Based Violence Supports Across the Settlement Sector in Canada
Project partners on the Gender-Based Violence Settlement Sector Project including the YMCA of Halifax/Dartmouth, the Ontario Council of Associations Serving Immigrants (OCASI, the Canadian Immigrant Settlement Sector Alliance (CISSA_ACSEI), and Ending Violence Association of Canada conducted an environmental scan on gender-based violence supports across the settlement sector in Canada. This environmental scan pulls together over 230 publicly-available materials and provides a collection of accessible resources related to both the settlement and GBV sectors.
Survivor Support Consultation Group
Sexual misconduct within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has emerged as a significant issue requiring immediate action in order to promote culture change within the institution and to ensure adequate supports are available to survivors of sexual misconduct. EVA Canada participated as a subject matter expert on the Survivor Support Consultation Group to identify and make recommendations toward strengthening the CAF’s approach to supporting survivors of sexual misconduct. Drawing on input from community-based sexual violence advocates, EVA Canada emphasized the need for culture change within the CAF that addresses the systemic causes of sexual violence; ensuring supports that reflect the diverse needs of survivors; and implementing oversight mechanisms that involve external advocates and experts to evaluate and monitor progress.