October 14-20, 2019

During the third week of October Canadians, and people around the world, mark YWCA’s Week Without Violence. More than 17,000 people in schools, workplaces, and organizations throughout Canada recognize this annual violence prevention initiative. Activities will focus on raising awareness, promoting attitude change and enabling individuals to begin positive actions towards ending violence in their communities.

Each year, YWCA member associations host events. For 2019 YWCA Regina will again host The Power of Being You, an empowerment-based, violence prevention conference for youth. This year’s The Power of Being You will be held on Tuesday, October 15th starting at 9:30 a.m. at the MacKenzie Art Gallery. Up to 150 students from grade nine to twelve will attend. The subject matter for the discussion sessions includes “Cookies and Consent”, “Paving the Way for Safe Spaces” and “What’s the difference between you and me?”. The conference runs until 3:15 p.m. and includes a lunch at noon sponsored by Boston Pizza.

YWCA knows that not all violence is acknowledged or responded to equally. Violence against women remains a global concern despite much work being done. In Regina, reports of sexual assault offenses increased by eight per cent in 2018 and nine per cent between 2008 and 2018 – the only Regina crime statistic that increased over the past decade. Intimate partner violence is one of the main causes of homelessness for women and children. In 2018, YWCA Regina shelters (Isabel Johnson Shelter and My Aunt’s Place) housed 600 women and children. However, last year the YWCA was forced to turn away over 3300 women and children due to lack of space.

In addition to operating shelters, and helping women move away from situations of intimate partner violence, YWCA Regina provides safety planning and assistance in connecting women to permanent housing. YWCA also works to prevent gender-based violence from occurring by promoting a culture of consent. This includes educational workshops for boys, girls and gender non-conforming youth focused on healthy relationships and understanding consent including the 2019 The Power of Being You.

To learn more about YWCA Regina’s Power of Being You, please contact Alejandra Cabrera, YWCA Regina CEV Coordinator at 306-525-2141, ext. 117 or alejandrac@ywcaregina.com.

You can follow YWCA Regina on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn and if you follow the hashtags #WeekWithoutViolence2019 and #WWV19 on social media channels you will see updates from YWCAs across Canada and around the world as well. You can also visit www.worldywca.org and check out the International Week Without Violence Toolkit.

For media enquiries contact:
Donna Boyle
YWCA Regina Director of Communications
Phone: 306-525-2141 ext. 145
Email: donnab@ywcaregina.com