Gender-based violence refers to any form of harm that is inflicted on someone based on their gender identity or expression. Sadly, it's a pervasive issue that affects people all around the world, including folks right here in Alberta.You probably know that while violence affects all people, some people are more at risk of experiencing violence due to various forms of oppression, such as racism, colonialism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and ableism. Based on statistics from the Government of Canada, women and girls, 2SLGBTQQIA+ folks, women in northern or rural communities, and women with disabilities are more likely to experience gender-based violence. It’s also important to note that gender-based violence does not refer to just physical violence, which is why it's so crucial to bring this topic to light.
So why did we choose this topic for our Elevate event? Well, for starters, we believe that education and awareness are essential building blocks in the fight against any societal problem. When we were thinking about what we wanted to discuss with our Elevate community in 2023, we considered both what we thought would appeal to the community and what we wanted to learn more about ourselves. We also felt that now is the time to dive into this topic deeper as the Alberta government has recently been viewed as having fallen short on addressing gender-based violence in our communities. According to the Edmonton Journal, “despite having some of the highest rates of gender-based violence in the country, Alberta has not responded to these policy actions in any meaningful or transparent way.” By discussing this topic in an open and inclusive forum, we hope to help folks learn more about the issue and how they can help to make a difference.
Our team is thrilled to be hosting this event and looking forward to learning more about the topic ourselves. We've invited some fantastic speakers in the field to share their insights and experiences with us, including Pamela Di Pinto of the Canadian Women’s Foundation and Adebayo Chris with RARICANow. We hope to spark some thought-provoking conversations and create a meaningful dialogue that leads to positive change. We want to create a safe space for everyone to learn, grow, and contribute to the conversation and so we want to emphasize that everyone is welcome to join us for this event. For more information about our commitment to creating a SAFE space, please visit the Elevate section of the website.
If you’ve been to our Elevate events in the past you know that we always donate 100% of the proceeds from our events to a good cause. For this event, we’ve chosen to donate all proceeds to the Canadian Women’s Foundation to help them in their mission to end gender-based violence.
Mark your calendars for June 13th at 6:30 pm and join us for this informative and engaging event. As always, you can purchase your tickets on Eventbrite, and we can't wait to see you there!