In this Issue

• Intro
• Past
• Present
• Future
• Thanks
• Donation & Member Forms

"Without community, there is no liberation." Audre Lord

In 2004, METRAC is celebrating its Twentieth Anniversary. I am sure that the women who conceived and founded METRAC were hopeful that its goals would have been accomplished within 20 years. Unfortunately, the important work of METRAC is still an integral part of our communities. While violence against women and children has not ceased, the issues giving rise to violence are now being seriously considered by community leaders and politicians, and there appears to be a more common goal towards the eradication of violence against women and children. METRAC has been and continues to be an important catalyst for change, educating and raising awareness of these issues that plague our communities.

As an organization, METRAC is changing and growing. The Board of Directors is a dynamic and diverse group of women who are very committed to violence prevention. As a small grassroots organization, METRAC is fortunate to have women on the Board who unfailingly give of their time, energy, and expertise, both to the management and direction of the organization. This year, METRAC will complete a three-year strategic plan, with the assistance and support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation. We will have defined organizational goals, a revised mission statement, and a new logo. This planning process has allowed us to consider the changing world in which we do our work, strengthen our programs, and discuss how we can expand the organization's visibility in the city.

We are fortunate to have the support of Jamie Kennedy Kitchens for METRAC's special anniversary dinner on Monday October 4th, entitled Dining Out with a Difference. For more information, contact Rosetta Springer at resourcedeveloper@metrac.org or 416-392-9138. We also extend a heartfelt invitation to our anniversary Annual General Meeting on Thursday October 28th at 6:00pm, to be held at Cecil Community Centre (58 Cecil Street).

As always, we are so grateful to the many individuals, foundations, organizations, and corporations who support METRAC. We would not run our exceptional programs without their financial support. Working together over the next twenty years, perhaps we can achieve the goal of eradicating violence against women and children, once and for all.

The Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children works towards the goal of eliminating all forms of violence against women and children. It is committed to the right of all women and children to live free from violence and threat of violence. METRAC's work is informed by anti-oppression principles which recognize that women and children within and among diverse communities experience violence in different ways and forms, and which recognize that anti-violence measures must address the distinctive realities of women and children within and among diverse communities.

• Farrah Bykalo-Khan, YWAVSB & Volunteer Coordinator
• Pamela Cross, Legal Director
• Andrea Gunraj, Outreach Manager
• Wendy Komiotis, Executive Director
• Beth Palmer, Justice Assistant
• Rosetta Springer, Resource Developer
• Pam Thompson, Safety Director
• Hongli Wang, Admin. Assistant

• Ash
• Alyssa Asomani
• Emma Beltran
• Tamika Boyce
• Fatima Chamali
• Liz Chen
• Farazana Islam
• David Lewis
• Tasha Lindsay
• Alana Lowe
• Andre Ottley-Lorant
• MJ Rwigema
• Nicole Walters
• Melinda Zakye

• Stephanie Dutrizac
• Karima Esmail
• Kerry Hughes
• Pat Marshall
• Kimberly Morris, President
• Peggy Nash
• Deborah Niles, Treasurer
• Marilyn Oladimeji
• Kathy Parsons
• Tania Principe
• Janice Shaw, Vice President
• Mazeena Rafi, Secretary
• Shahnaz Uddin
• Shelanda R. Wilson

I am proud to present you with METRAC's 20th Anniversary newsletter, Celebrating 20 Years of Community. In it, we share the accomplishments of METRAC's staff, Board, volunteers, community partners and members. We reflect on where we have been, triumphs and disappointments, and our plans for the future. METRAC was established in 1984, in response to brutal rapes and murders of women. Beginning with the vigorous work of its founding members and tracing all the way to our current Board, staff and volunteers, METRAC has operated with the same core goal - to build a safer society for women and children through public education, safety initiatives, research, community partnerships, and public policy.

While METRAC remains true to its original goal, over the years adapted its mission and structure to reflect changes in the demographics of Toronto's communities. Our agency has kept strong and relevant by recognizing and responding to the diversity of women's experiences of violence. We have placed great importance on redesigning our programs to be inclusive of women for whom discriminatory attitudes have put them at an increased risk for violence. For example, women with disabilities, those living in poverty, and immigrant and refugee women often experience barriers to services and have the least access to violence prevention resources.

Since 1984, great strides have been made at METRAC. We have pioneered the Community Safety Audit, to help make communities safer places to live, work, play and learn. We have contributed to improving the quality of life in our city, through the use of our audit to enhance the safety features of the public transit system. We have acted as a key source of effective violence prevention information and referrals.

Our Young Women's Speakers Bureau, an innovative peer education program, offers workshops to hundreds of youth in schools, shelters, and community and detention centres across Toronto. Through the Bureau's work, METRAC has fostered youth influence and involvement in violence prevention efforts to improve the social landscape of their communities and city.

Because of the close relationship between women's safety and the legal system, METRAC has worked hard to increase access to justice for women and children through partnerships with the Toronto Police Service, with judges and with crown attorneys to improve systemic responses to sexual assault victims. In the pursuit of real access to justice for women, METRAC has successfully used the equality provisions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to influence law and policy reforms related to sexual assault and partner abuse.

One of the key challenges facing METRAC today is funding stability and security. METRAC is fortunate and grateful for the financial support it receives from the City of Toronto, but these are uncertain times. The current trend towards funding on a project-by-project basis often demands substantial time from staff to create an endless cycle of proposals and reports for various funders with differing priorities. As government funding falls and demands for services increase, it is necessary for METRAC to seek higher levels of funding from individuals, foundations, and the corporate sector. The need for expanded fundraising also requires more staff and volunteer time on direct mail campaigns and to organize various special events. METRAC is thankful to have received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to build our resource and fundraising capacity, and to develop a volunteer program. This funding represents critical support we can use to continue our work to end violence against women and children.

METRAC's success and survival over the past two decades can be attributed to the indomitable will of its founding members, the steadfast commitment of our funders, donors, and our hardworking and talented staff, volunteers (including board members), students, and community partners. My deepest thanks go to all of you, who have inspired us to work for a better world. In my first year as Executive Director at METRAC, I have learned that on every level, this organization demonstrates determination to maintain the integrity of its vision to continue building a more equitable and non-violent world and providing effective services to the community of women and children it serves.

As we celebrate our 20th Anniversary, METRAC's work is far from done. Ontario is still recovering from eight years of funding cuts to shelters and crisis centres, welfare rates, legal aid, child care, housing - all those supports that help assaulted women to get on their feet and stay free of their abusers. The rate of poverty among women is 22.7% - multiply by for two the rate of female poverty for immigrant women, and those with disabilities. For First Nations women, multiply by four. In spite of the successes we have experienced, we still have a much larger system to change. In a world rife with violence against women, the work of METRAC together with our community partners gives us hope. It is an ideal time to reaffirm our commitment to ending violence against women and children. I truly believe that the opportunities for communities to work together have never been greater. Today, let us rededicate ourselves to making peace in our own lives and in the lives of women and children everywhere.

Intro | Past | Present | Future | Thanks | Donation & Member Forms

Originally named The Metropolitan Action Committee on Public Violence Against Women and Children, METRAC was formed in 1984 in response to a series of rapes and murders of women in Toronto.

"Remember our heritage is our power." Judy Chicago

As the first Executive Director of METRAC, Pat Marshall had many memories about the beginnings of the organization. We interviewed her to get her thoughts on the past.

Q: What prompted the creation of METRAC in the early 1980s?
A: With an increase of assault cases against women in 1982, a Toronto taskforce was created in order to find ways to make the city safer for women and children. The taskforce, chaired by Jane Pepino, met for two years. It was the first time women's organizations, politicians, the police, lawyers, and doctors had sat together to talk about violence and they were difficult conversations. METRAC began as the community-based organization responsible for implementing the far-reaching taskforce recommendations.

Q: What were some trials and challenges as the first Executive Director of METRAC?
A: We started with a staff of two and a very committed Board. Our existence beyond the first two years was in question. The pressure for results was great - we had a huge mandate and early on saw that we had to be a catalyst if the recommended big-scale changes were ever to happen. There was no "roadmap" of where to begin and limited support because the issues of violence were understood so little. Educating decision-makers and the public about the nature and scope of the problem became a crucial task. Other early focus areas were working to end corporal punishment in Toronto schools and working with the Toronto Police to establish training programs and a functioning sexual assault coordinator's office. In its first year, METRAC also secured funding for a pioneering research project on women's experience of the criminal law system, which had police working with the women's community throughout it's duration.

Q: In your personal opinion throughout these 20 years, what would be the greatest challenge METRAC has faced and the greatest success to date?
A: Some of the biggest challenges we have faced have been around invisibility of much of the violence, tolerance of it at the institutional and societal level, and resistance to change by those in positions of power who benefited from the status quo. Sexism compounded by racism, homophobia, and classism worked as huge obstacles to getting real solutions in place that would promote safety and prevent violence. But we did find many allies and this work has contributed to improvements - all grounded in women's own experience of violence, which was a major starting place for all of METRAC's work.

METRAC has been successful in urging: the City of Toronto to paint underground garages white and add signage; the TTC to establish Designated Waiting Areas and the Request Stop Program; the Toronto Police to establish week-long sexual assault training for investigators; the Ontario Government to make sexual assault a designated priority in the 80s and early 90s; and the Federal Government to include rape prevention in its crime prevention programs. In the 1990s, METRAC successfully participated in sexual assault law reform and judicial education programs, improving regulations on sexual abuse by people in positions of trust and authority, and the creation of criminal harassment/stalking legislation.

Pat also shared how METRAC's public education, legal and safety work started, all of which formed the backbone of our current Community Outreach and Education, Community Justice, and Community Safety Programs.

Q: How did the need for public education about violence arise?
A: Because education was so important, we used every method possible - the media, conferences, and pamphlets - to reach the public and decision-makers with research and information on violence that was not generally known, including the many forms of violence, the pervasiveness, the underreporting, and the impacts - also to counter the mythology about violence that was so prevalent. We worked in coalition with other organizations, such as the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre and the Disabled Women's Network, to expand access to these print materials and translate them into different languages and formats. We scrounged together an impressive library of information on violence that was used by students, researchers and community members.

Q: How did METRAC's legal work begin?
A: METRAC's mandate included working for legal reform, and we conversed with women describing negative experiences in the courts. We worked in coalition with other organizations to support reforms - promoting judicial education and new laws and accountability processes. To underline the misunderstanding of sexual assault in the courts, I presented findings from newspaper articles about sentencing to a federal committee. There was a powerful response. With the encouragement of lawyers on METRAC's Board, I wrote an article comparing judges' own tolerance of sexual assault in sentencing with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, asking if the women received "equal benefit and protection of the law". It was printed in the Criminal Reports and is quoted in at least one Supreme Court of Canada decision. Over the years with the help of law students, a sentencing database was developed and its findings presented to judges from many countries and at national conferences.

Q: How did METRAC's safety work begin?
A: For a small organization to impact women's safety in Toronto, we needed an effective, inexpensive catalyst. When I first suggested the idea of a safety audit to women who faced the threat of serial rapist in their neighbourhood, they were enthusiastic and knew what they wanted to make their area safer. Out of this and other scenario-based reviews of spaces women used, METRAC built its Women's Safety Audit, a systematic review of women's safety concerns. METRAC led the audit's use by communities, cities, universities, and the TTC. It has been adopted by people and institutions across Canada and in a number of countries and has led to many changes for women's safety.

It is from such initiatives that METRAC began to grow. In examining what happened in our past, we seek to learn how we can make a positive impact today.

Jack W. Ackroyd · Jean Augustine · Naomi Black · Trudy Don · Mary Eberts · Paul Godfrey · Susan McCutcheon · Marilou McPhedran · Mary Jane Mossman · N. Jane Pepino · Marion Powell · Dr. Gail Robertson

Excerpt from the introduction of Moving Forward: Making Transit Safer for Women (1988): "The cooperative effort described herein represents part of a very welcome shift from sexual assault being seen as 'just a women's problem' to a new appreciation that sexual assault is a societal problem …" (p. 6)

Designated Waiting Areas, brighter subway platforms, the word "harassment" on Passenger Assistance Alarms in subway cars …these are some recommendations that came out of a 1988 study of Toronto's public transit system. Here, METRAC's Safety Department, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), and the Toronto Police partnered to evaluate the transit system through conducting Safety Audits of subways and stations in the city. Results of the study were published in the report Moving Forward: Making Transit Safer for Women.

Linda Fice, the current Superintendent of System Security at the TTC, was directly involved. She explains that METRAC had initially contacted the TTC with interest in doing a study of public transit with respect to sexual assault and women and children's safety. Linda describes responses to the study as very positive, as the TTC was already doing its own security work and viewed it as a helpful addition.

The end result of the study has enhanced people's perception of safety in Toronto's transit system, Linda believes. She points to the example of Designated Waiting Areas (DWAs) in subway stations - originally, people felt vulnerable waiting in dark, isolated parts of subway platforms. The creation of DWAs has given transit users a specially lighted area to wait and, if necessary, call for help through an intercom.

Linda feels that the safety of public transit can be maintained into the future by keeping safety standards high and incorporating recommendations from the joint study into new station designs. She also believes that training for frontline TTC staff on how to handle sexual assault is another important part of enhancing the safety of Toronto's public transit system. Linda explains: "public safety on the TTC is always a key issue that must be proactively addressed."

"Every woman I have ever known has made a lasting impression on my soul." Audre Lord

On November 19th 2003, METRAC lost its Executive Director, Mary Pritchard. Although Mary's time at METRAC was short, her passing stirred deep emotions across the agency.

For us at METRAC and the community of individuals dedicated to ending the abuse of women and children. Mary's passing is a profound loss for the Violence against Women Movement. She was a true champion of human rights and social justice for all women and children. We honour Mary's achievements and draw strength from the example of her life.

How do you summarize the work of someone as dynamic and talented as Mary Christine Pritchard? Mary was dedicated to advancing the equality rights of women, the LGBT communities, racialized, and marginalized people. Her most profound impact, however, was in the area of violence against women.

Mary began her community work with Fred Victor Centre in housing. She was a volunteer on the Toronto and Area Gay and Lesbian Crisis Line. She moved on to become a Direct Service Worker at the Women's Counseling Referral and Education Centre, where she did telephone and face to face counseling and assessment. She also screened and interviewed therapists for potential referral.

Mary started at the Assaulted Women's Helpline (AWHL) as a Relief Counsellor in 1995. She steadily moved through the organization becoming a full-time crisis line Counsellor and later on, a Training and Resource Coordinator. She had many achievements during her time at AWHL. She helped to re-shape the Training and Resource Department, she fought for equitable treatment for women of colour within the organization, and she was many times the staff representative to the Board of Directors.

She assisted with the very first submission of the AWHL province-wide proposal, and she fought tirelessly for the rights of women and children. Mary left AWHL for a brief period of time to work as a collective member with the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre. Shortly before Mary became ill, she was offered and accepted the position of Executive Director of METRAC. Unfortunately, Mary's opportunity at METRAC was cut short by the return and devastating effects of her illness.

Mary worked tirelessly as an activist and advocate. Her colleagues at the Assaulted Women's Helpline nominated her in 1997 for a "Remarkable Women Award", an award that honours the work of women of colour. Her colleagues said this about her:

Some of her contributions include her work on well known piece the Client's Rights Handbook, she facilitated a workshop session on the impacts of racism on mental health at the Sister's Resisting abuse conference in 1998, she co-created and facilitated a six workshop series "Violence Against Women: A Cultural Perspective." She assisted with the development and implementation of the conference "The Many Faces of Trauma", and delivered the closing remarks.

Mary was the past vice president of the Board of Directors at the Barbra Schlifer Clinic and she was the co-chair of the Board of Directors for Nellie's Shelter for Women.

Mary was a rock; she was steadfast and true. If you were fortunate enough to have her as an ally, you were lucky. To have her as a friend, you were blessed. Mary fought for what she believed in, she spoke her mind, she did not shrink away from a challenge - she met it! She did not let the unrelenting oppressions of sexism, racism, and homophobia keep her from her work, no matter how outnumbered, marginalized, tired, or unheard she may have been in numerous situations. Mary never backed down!

Mary made a difference in the work of violence against women. She helped to slowly change the landscape. She believed that one day we might all come together as true allies to fight the good fight, to collectively use our strength and courage to make positive change, to start a revolution! Consider this, as you move forward in the work that all of you do so well, and remember Mary.

Intro | Past | Present | Future | Thanks | Donation & Member Forms

METRAC is at a new phase of its existence right now. With a special strategic planning process under way and new violence-prevention initiatives in all program areas, this is an exciting time to be a part of METRAC - and get involved with us for the first time!

"We must remember that one determined person can make a significant difference, and that a small group of determined people can change the course of history." Sonia Johnson

Public safety for women and children has been a focus of METRAC from the start. METRAC's Safety Program began with a focus on finding ways to involve women and children in talking about their safety concerns in the places they live, work, learn and play. This work led the way for METRAC's creation of the first Women's Safety Audit Process.

METRAC has built upon our experiences with the Women's Safety Audit Process in our newly revised Safety Audit Resource Kit: For Women and Communities resource. In addition to providing a unique perspective on safety for women, this resource also clearly recognizes different forms of discrimination as key public safety issues for women and marginalized people from diverse communities. We know that discrimination often plays out against different groups in such forms as racist attacks, bashing of members of the LGBTQ communities, anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim actions, mistreatment of people who are homeless, racial profiling, lack of accessibility for people with disabilities, bullying of children, targeting of seniors and many more. For public safety initiatives to be effective, they need to start from this perspective.

Through events like our recent 5th Annual Community Safety Night Event, we continue to work with diverse women and communities across Toronto to identify specific safety concerns and to develop creative ideas and projects to make our city safer. We also continue to provide consultation and training with women's groups, community organizations, universities and colleges, workplaces, urban developers, government programs, and other public institutions. An exciting new initiative is our upcoming development of a workplace violence-prevention training curriculum.

For METRAC's Safety Program, community safety means working to end violence against women and violence against marginalized communities. When a community is made safer for its most vulnerable of users, it in turn is made safer for everyone.

Contact Pam Thompson, METRAC's Safety Director, at 416-392-3137 or safety@metrac.org

The South Asian Women's Centre (SAWC) has partnered with METRAC for several years as part of METRAC's Annual Community Safety Night, conducting Safety Audits, sharing safety concerns, and recommending ideas for change. SAWC seeks to increase self-awareness of South Asian women and empower them to develop their social and cultural potential. Rekha Vaishnav of SAWC has been facilitating audits since 2000.

Q: How did you become involved with METRAC?
A: The South Asian Women's Centre has been an active participant in METRAC's Community Safety Audit Night. Since October 2000, SAWC has conducted four Safety Audits around the Bloor and Lansdowne intersection in Toronto.

Q: From your experience, what suggestions would you make to improve METRAC services?
A: METRAC could find some innovative ways of conducting the Safety Audits. For example, the Safety Audit Resource Kit: For Women and Communities could be translated into various languages spoken by immigrant communities and women of colour. For us at SAWC, it would be helpful to have the Participant Booklets in the Kit available in major South Asian languages. This year, SAWC decided to do the audit differently. We created a survey and interviewed community residents on the streets. It was a great way to hear from people about safety concerns and issues in our area.

Q: How has METRAC affected your community?
A: The South Asian community is an emerging immigrant community characterized by multiple needs as well as vulnerability. The Safety Audit is a proven tool to bring our community together and educate them about creating a safer city. METRAC's bookmark containing information about services for women and children is a great resource for service providers as well as victims of violence.

Q: How do you think METRAC can do more?
A: METRAC can still further strengthen its impact on the South Asian Community by providing more language-based resources on violence against women and children. It could also concretize educational activities to promote a safer city, for example, self defence training for women and children's safety education for children and parents.

There's a lot to be excited about with METRAC's Community Outreach and Education Program (formerly "Information Services"). First, we are in the process of revitalizing our public education materials about violence to make them more dynamic, accessible, and relevant to diverse people. Second, the Community Outreach and Education Program is working hard to communicate with under-served communities in our city and other community organizations that are consistently striving to make a positive difference. We hope to tap into that energy, listening to needs and wishes of those communities and tailoring our services to better address violence against women, children, and youth.

Third, the Young Women's Anti-Violence Speakers Bureau is in full swing, still providing innovative peer-to-peer, popular education violence-prevention workshops for diverse youth across Toronto. We completed our final stage of the "At Risk, At Opportunity: Youth Violence Prevention Project", an initiative that allowed us to create two special workshop series, one for young women and one for young men living in under-served urban neighbourhoods. We have delivered them across the city, and we're searching for more funding to keep them going.

Facilitators are being trained on an ongoing basis, transforming METRAC's approach to youth violence-prevention work. Exciting new Speakers Bureau projects are being planned and will be underway soon.

The Speakers Bureau would not be the great program that it is without the talent, passion, and willingness of our youth Peer Facilitators and the Bureau's Program Coordinator, Farrah Bykalo-Khan. Thank you all for persevering and making a real difference.

Contact Andrea Gunraj, METRAC's Outreach Manager, at 416-392-4760 or outreach@metrac.org

The Massey Centre for Women, an organization that offers housing and resources for young women who are pregnant and young mothers and their children, recently began working with the Young Women's Anti-Violence Speakers Bureau to complement its programming. We contacted Karin Pereria, a social worker at Massey Centre to discuss her experiences with the Speakers Bureau. Along with her colleague, Karin runs the Massey Centre's SET (Success by Employment and Technology) program, facilitating daily workshops on computer, employment, and life skills. For more than two years, the Young Women's Anti-Violence Speakers Bureau has been assisting SET by offering its Women's Empowerment workshop to the young women who participate in the program. This workshop recognizes the realities of young mothers' lives, identifies signs of emotional, physical, and sexual violence in relationships and, ultimately, encourages them to consider how they can resist violence and focus on self-care.

Karin expresses that she finds the Women's Empowerment workshop to be "very informative, relaxed and respectful to the women. The women always respond well to it." She believes that the workshop's content "has reached these women for them to consider in their own lives, as well as to help other women they may know who are being victimized."

Q: How do you use METRAC's public education materials at WHIWH?
A: I have been working here since 1993 and we have always had METRAC publications available for our clients. We distribute information package at workshops, provide clients with specific information during one-on-one encounters and we also leave materials around the centre for women to pick up as needed. We find this is an important dissemination strategy because women may need information about violence but are not yet at a point where they can discuss their issues.

Q: Are any materials particularly effective?
A: The Women's Community Services and Organizations bookmark is used by our staff in providing appropriate referrals and is also distributed widely. Any one who expresses concerns about her living situation is given a copy of the bookmark to keep with her at all times so she knows whom to call. We like this bookmark because it is very comprehensive in the listings provided, and its size makes it discrete so that women can keep it in a "secret" part of their wallet without alerting their partner. We also notice that women keep the bookmark with them for a long time. Sometimes months later, we observe our clients are still using it.

Q: Have you gotten feedback on our materials?
A: Women are always really pleased to see materials in their mother tongue.

Q: How can the materials become more useful?
A: More material in languages other than English and/or alternate format. It would also be great if METRAC could access funding for dissemination of materials so that agencies do not have to purchase the material. I am sure that is a barrier for many grassroots groups who haven't discretionary funds.

METRAC's Justice Program has seen many changes over the past 20 years. Our original focus was on the law and public violence against women. While we continue to work on this issue, we have expanded our mandate to include private violence. This has meant an increase in our work in the area of family law.

The training component of this program is now significant, with METRAC developing leading edge materials in several languages on legal issues of interest and concern to women who experience violence. We have trained violence against women workers across the province in how to use these materials and are now reaching beyond the VAW sector with this work.

The creation and growth of the Ontario Women's Justice Network (OWJN) and its website www.owjn.org has made METRAC's Justice Program a leader on the provincial and national levels. OWJN provides legal information as well as an analysis and critique of government policy and relevant court decisions through the website.

Contact Pamela Cross, METRAC's Legal Director, at 416-392-3148 or pcross@web.ca

We contacted Beth Hutchison, Director of Community Services for the Deaf at Silent Voice Canada, to learn about legal information needs of Deaf women and how METRAC can better meet them. Silent Voice serves the Deaf community and their families in a sign language environment. It is dedicated to improving communication and relationships between those who are Deaf and those who are hearing (www.silentvoice.ca).

Beth explained that a "high percentage of Deaf women and children are unaware of their rights and how the legal system works", so it is important that legal information be accessible to them. Having appropriate legal resources at Silent Voice Canada is very helpful, since all kinds of clients access their services. Beth noted that in some cases, providing services at Silent Voices directly involves dealing with the problem of violence against women. Beth stressed the benefit of forming partnerships between community organizations to address violence, pointing to the fact that an agency like Silent Voice can provide insights about "potential new resources that are needed in the community" as well as issues and concerns that Deaf women may have. She gave METRAC general tips about how we could make our services and programs more accessible, such as further including Deaf community issues in our website, actively involving Deaf women in our work and in our team, and providing ASL interpretation at events and meetings. We look forward to continuing to work with organizations like Silent Voice to make METRAC's programs increasingly accessible for the diverse communities in our city.

Beth Palmer currently works at METRAC as the Community Justice Program Assistant. But she originally came to METRAC as one of the organization's first volunteers - she had just moved to Toronto and wanted to get involved with something outside of school. "At METRAC, I was able to learn a lot and there was always work to be done," Beth explains. "And the fact that I support the organization and its general ideas means that I felt really good about my work here."

Over the time she was involved as a volunteer, Beth supported and contributed a lot to the work of METRAC, especially the Justice Program. But she explains that she got a lot out of being a volunteer too. "METRAC, specifically the women involved, have taught me so much and have helped me to figure out my own ideas about a lot of important issues."

Of the working environment, Beth says that, "METRAC is fun." She describes METRAC as having an atmosphere that she loves: "It's welcoming and challenging and friendly all at once. And I have really come to believe in the work here, which is mainly why volunteering here was so important to me."

Contact Beth Palmer, METRAC's Justice Program Assistant,
at 416-392-3138 or cleric@metrac.org

Intro | Past | Present | Future | Thanks | Donation & Member Forms

The community is constantly changing and so are its needs. New opportunities for violence prevention are opening up, especially amongst youth, and this section is dedicated to exploring the future potential of METRAC.

"To heal ourselves we also have to heal society." Riane Eisler

Youth Voices Against Violence: Insights of Two Peer Facilitators (Ronnie Cano & Andrea Gunraj)

Alana Lowe and David Lewis are two of the amazing youth in METRAC's Young Women's Anti-Violence Speakers Bureau. Along with the whole team of young women and young male ally Peer Facilitators, they have been delivering workshops that Alana says help youth become "more aware of the violence that occurs within their lives and … equipped with methods on how to deal with it". All of the Peer Facilitators are valuable, dynamic assets to METRAC, and it seems they get something out of it too - "working with the Bureau has been enlightening. I've met a lot of interesting people … [and] I've learned a lot on how to better communicate information on violence. I've also learned skills by watching other speakers and have gained new perspectives and ideas from them," explains David.

Of course, there's always room for growth in the Speakers Bureau and we look to our Peer Facilitators to guide us in the right direction for the future. Alana believes that "there is a need for an analysis of the school system in many inner-city neighborhoods. We also need to create more programs and space for youth to share their ideas on violence and discuss its impact on the community". Meanwhile, David believes we should "place more focus and responsibility on the role of men in violence." He thinks that "we need to start addressing the cause of violence. The perpetrators more often than not are men, yet there aren't many programs out there dealing with issues surrounding men and how they became violent [toward women]. We need to implement men's projects and get more men involved in the Bureau."

Tapping into such innovation and vision from all the young women and men in the Young Women's Anti-Speakers Bureau will allow us to keep advocating for a violence-free society in the future with renewed energy.

All young men need the opportunity to proactively critique and end the maintenance of violence against young women in society and in their own lives. This is demonstrated by Canadian statistics and research, which show that male-perpetuated gendered violence is a widespread social problem, and indeed, a common experience in the lives of women. Although women of all ages experience forms of gendered violence, young women are at greater risk of sexual assault, physical assault and murder:

• 84% of the victims of child sexual assault are girls, and 97% of perpetrators are male (Department of Justice, 1992).
• 24% of women aged 18 to 24 are assaulted by their dates, which is 50% higher than the national average (Johnson, 1996, p. 112).
• 12% of Canadian women in the same age range reported at least 1 incident of violence by an intimate partner in a year period, compared to the national average of 3% of all married or cohabiting women (Johnston, 1996, p. 148).
• Two-thirds of women admitted to shelters in 1995 were under the age of 35, while fewer than 5% were over 55 years of age (Statistics Canada, 1998, p. 13).
• A variety of studies confirm that many women first suffer abuse from their intimate partners as teenagers (Preventing Violence in Dating Relationships, Education Wife Assault and Women's Habitat).

Research also shows that men who are known to women victims - friends, family members, and partners - commit the majority of instances of violence against women, and violent behaviour is often learned from a young age (It's Time for Guys to Put an End to This, White Ribbon Campaign; Michael Paymar, 2000, Violent No More: Helping Men End Domestic Abuse, p. 43). There is thus a need to stop gendered violence through activities that will counteract social forces that teach young men to abuse, mistreat, and control women in their lives. As Paul Kivel states, "we aren't raising our sons alone. Co-parenting with us are movies, TV, contemporary music, organized sports, advertising, our sons' peers, adult male friends, and an array of professionals including teachers, principals, coaches, counsellors, and doctors" (1999, Boys Will Be Men: Raising Our Sons for Courage, Caring, and Community, p. 21).

Although generally aimed at educating young women to identify and speak out against violence, research demonstrates that initiatives addressing gendered violence should not be geared towards women alone or be a responsibility borne by women alone. The Society of International Development explains that men must be encouraged to work together to address violence against women and confirms that men are more likely to listen to other men than to women when dealing with the subject (Violence Against Women and the Culture of Masculinity, www.nea.org/international/images/sid.pdf). Indeed, such peer-based education is widely considered the most effective method of effectively communicating with a group of people (Rick Flowers, 2001, Different Notions of Good Peer Education Practice, http://www.cpe.uts.edu.au). Therefore, anti-violence activities need to incorporate men into their efforts to reduce the cycle of gendered violence, and young men need to have contact with positive anti-violence messages from other people like themselves. As young men are truly the best group to communicate as peers to other young men, they must be seen as a valuable asset to community initiatives addressing the subject of violence against women. As Michael Flood explains: "When it comes to violence against women, men are both part of the problem and part of the solution."

The Young Women's Anti-Violence Speakers Bureau works hard to deliver peer-based workshops on issues of violence and youth. We have received many encouraging comments about Bureau workshops from youth, such as:

"It was great! Continue this workshop to other schools."

"I learned that women do have a worth and should all be treated with respect."

"[I learned] you don't always have to be tough and strong to be a man."

"I learned how to deal with friends that have violence in their relationships."

"I learned that fighting is not the answer."

"'I'm going to think twice before I'm about to fight and think if there is any other way to solve a problem."

"I learned … to always know where to get advice from, and how to handle those kinds of situations."

"[I learned about] all the institutes or people you can turn to in a time of need - you're never alone!"

"I learned to be confident of who you are."

"I [think] the Speakers Bureau is a great program that brings together many people from different backgrounds."

"I like working with co-Facilitators because it's fun and supportive and we make a good team."

"[I feel the Bureau] lets youth know that there are people that understand them and that it is possible to talk to others about their difficulties."

"I like the fact that I get to go almost all over Toronto just to tell people that, 'Hey, violence sucks and you can do something to put an end to it.'"

Beth Jordan, the former Director of the Assaulted Women's Helpline (AWHL), has interesting thoughts about the future course of METRAC's Community Legal Department. She has worked in collaboration with the Department since 1997 and actively participates with many community-based advocacy initiatives related to women, the law, and safety. About METRAC's legal work, Beth summarizes that "it demystifies the language of law and makes it accessible to the lay woman. It provides concise, and well-articulated information on legal matters relevant to women who have experienced violence and the people who work in the VAW and related sectors".

Having been involved with AWHL, Beth has special insight about difficulties women who experience abuse face when they come in contact with the law. Lack of access to criminal and family law systems, matters of custody and access, new changes to divorce and immigration laws, and inappropriate handling of domestic abuse and sexual assault cases all present challenges to women, she states. Beth adds, "it is important to underline that when you look at the intersectionality of race, class, ability, sexual orientation, and age, the picture becomes that much bleaker for women."

However, Beth offers her ideas of how METRAC can help women in the community better meet these challenges. "The department needs to continue to do what it is doing with an eye on expanding its service and scope". More multi-lingual printed materials, TTY access for Deaf and hard-of-hearing women, development of limited in-house services, and continued collaboration with community partners and women who benefit from METRAC's legal services are some key steps she believes the organization can take into the future.

Beth Jordan is the Managing Director at Adobe Consulting Services (adobeconsulting@rogers.com or 416-402-8401).

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Thank You for Supporting METRAC

METRAC would not be here without the support of many different people, organizations, and institutions. Each one has helped us to get closer to that goal of making our city safer for women and safer for everyone. METRAC would like to say thank you to:

• The City of Toronto
• The Law Foundation of Ontario
• United Way of Greater Toronto
• The Ontario Trillium Foundation
• Ontario Women's Directorate
• Canadian Women's Foundation
• Hydro One
• Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

• CN
• The City of Toronto
• Metro Credit Union
• Famous Players
• The Yoga Sanctuary
• Paramount Canada's Wonderland
• Jo-Elle Spa
• Pizza Pizza
• Flare
• Canada Catering Ltd.

Our wonderful volunteers:
who give of their time, skills, and energy every week, despite barriers and obstacles. We are indebted to you for your sacrifice and empowered by your desire to get personally involved in supporting METRAC as an organization. Thank you for being a part of our team - we would not be what we are today without all of you.

Our many community partners:
who make a difference for women, children, and youth in Toronto and beyond. Thank you for standing with us in the struggle to end violence and oppression and for persisting in the important community work you do.

Women of York University:
Heather Ball, Shawna Banville, Olivia Barrett, Karin Brodeurs, Sarah Butcher, Sarah Cervinka, Harmony Cohen, Defelice, Lisa Diniz, Nicole Donne, Dee Dussault, Alexandra Fotopoulos, Deborah Grace, Michelle Grawbarger, Nancy Herrman, Tania Hettiarachichi, Mary Higgins, Andrea Houston, Sheliza Jamal, Adrienne Johnson, Elena Kaminsky, Kelly Kimball, Danielle Masanto, Erika McMahon, Heather Mountford, Jessica Myers, Connie Nielsen, Michelle Occhiogrosso, Allison Pfaff, Esther Raday, Jennifer Reece, Marilyn Rivers, Sarafina, Irena Stankovic, Helene Stril-Rever, Amanda Upton, Laura Yonker, and Darcie Young.

These women took the initiative to put on a benefit production of The Vagina Monologues February 25th to the 27th, 2004, in order to raise awareness and funds to help end violence against women and girls. Organized by Kelly Graff and Erin Watson, this talented group of women donated proceeds of their performances to METRAC's Ontario Women's Justice Network (OWJN - www.owjn.org), which allowed the website to become active after having been inactive due to a lack of funding. We are extremely grateful for and touched by their support.

Jamie Kennedy Kitchens and Royal Bank of Canada:
for their support and generous contributions to METRAC's upcoming Dining Out with a Difference and RBC Luncheon Against Violence events.

Bill Abbott, magician:
who took the initiative to perform his Magic and Mysteries show on June 10th and 17th, 2004, in support of METRAC's Young Women's Anti-Violence Speakers Bureau. We are also grateful to Rebecca Abbott for her active support in this project.

New and departing METRAC staff members:
Welcome Farrah Bykalo-Khan, Beth Palmer, Rosetta Springer, Hongli Wang, and new YWAVSB Peer Facilitators! We will deeply miss departing staff members Cristina Alcivar, Keira Grant, and Puja Suri, as well as leaving YWAVSB Peer Facilitators - thank you the valuable work you have done. Finally, thank you to our Graphic Design placement student Vanita Dama and Administrative Assistant student Natasha Lindsay for working hard with us this summer.

Newsletter contributors:
including community partners Linda Cornwell, Linda Fice, Beth Hutchison, Beth Jordan, Karin Pereria, and Rekha Vaishnav. Thank you to METRAC staff, board members, and volunteers who also contributed to this newsletter: Farrah Bykalo-Khan, Ronnie Cano, Pamela Cross, Andrea Gunraj, Wendy Komiotis, David Lewis, Alana Lowe, Beth Palmer, Pat Marshall, Kimberly Morris, and Pam Thompson.

Intro | Past | Present | Future | Thanks | Donation & Member Forms