Media Release: Strike Notice Served: LutherCare Communities Group Homes
For Immediate Release
April 22, 2024
December 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. This day is the anniversary of the murders of 14 young women at l’Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal in 1989 who were killed simply because they were women. This is an important day to recognize that violence against women remains a significant issue in Canada and around the world. The UN reports that every 11 minutes a woman, or girl, is killed by an intimate partner or family member, making this the most pervasive human rights violation in the world. In addition to the physical violence that women are subjected to, women and girls face rampant violence online, including misogynistic hate speech, sexual harassment, revenge porn, and grooming by sexual predators. This violence is amplified for Indigenous women and girls, for women of colour, and for gender diverse and gender fluid women.
On December 6, we are asking our members to remember those who have experienced gender-based violence and those who have lost their lives to it. Saskatchewan has the highest rate of intimate partner violence in Canada, with more than double the national rate. We know that intimate partner violence can occur regardless of gender, however women are victims of domestic violence more than 4 times as frequently as men.
We are sharing some resources for members who wish to learn more about this important topic.
This is a list of organizations providing services in Saskatchewan to victims of domestic violence.
The following information is provided by Saskatoon Interval House to assist people to identify signs of abuse, make a safety plan, or help a friend. You can also hide your tracks on your computer.
Government of Canada has a webpage containing information, statistics, and fact sheets about gender-based violence.
This CBC article from December 2021 discusses the high rate of intimate partner violence in Saskatchewan. The article contains descriptions of violence, along with recommendations from experts on what can be done to reduce intimate partner violence.
The partnership between our SEIU-West Young Workers Committee, the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL), and the Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services Saskatchewan (PATHS) was instrumental in the work that led to the provincial government to enacting legislation allowing Saskatchewan workers up to 10 days leave from work to access supports or relocate to a new home as a result of interpersonal violence.
Each year, SEIU-West holds a Domestic Violence Workshop, in partnership with the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), to educate our member leaders on how to identify and assist those that may be experiencing domestic violence. Since 2017, 155 members from across Saskatchewan have taken part this workshop through our Education program.
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