Women’s House Serving Bruce and Grey, in partnership with Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses is calling on all Ontarians to purchase a purple scarf or tie from your local women’s shelter during Woman Abuse Prevention Month for the fifth annual Wrapped in Courage campaign.

In a Women’s House Serving Bruce and Grey media release, women shelters and community organizations across the province are engaging with their communities to address the often overlooked issue of woman abuse in Ontario. Throughout the month of November, we are inviting everyone in Ontario to show their support by wearing a purple scarf to let women and their children know they are not alone. The courage of a woman alone is not enough. It takes the commitment and support of an entire community to end violence against all women.

In 2015/16, 10,900 women and 6,700 children were served through violence against women shelters in Ontario while 51,700 crisis calls were received on crisis lines for women and 40,500 women and 3,900 children received counselling.

From the Ministry of Community and Social Services, from November 2015 to November 2016 there were 29 women reported on by media in Ontario who were murdered from either their current or previous intimate partner.

Seventy-four percent of all domestic violence homicide cases reviewed from 2003 to 2015 involved a couple where there was a history of domestic violence, while 68 percent of cases reviewed during the same period involved an actual or pending separation.

On a snapshot day in Canada, 44 percent of women’s shelters were full due to overcapacity and lack of resources to respond to requests.

For nearly 40 years the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses has been supporting women’s shelters across the province to provide safe housing, counselling and legal and outreach support services to assist women to live their lives free from violence.

Support of women’s shelter services is essential in eliminating all forms of violence for all women and children in Ontario.

In Saugeen Shores on Saturday, November 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. representatives will be at Rowland’s Your Independent Grocer with an information table and purples scarves and ties available for purchase. Other similar events are taking place throughout Grey and Bruce for the month of November. 

To learn more about the Wrapped in Courage campaign and how you can support women and children in your community please visit wrappedincourage.ca or follow the campaign on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wrappedincourage or Twitter at www.twitter.com/wrappdincourage.