Northern legal clinics receive funding to support victims of sexual harassment

Northern Ont. legal clinics expand SHAPE project, offering free advice & education to combat workplace sexual harassment, targeting underreported cases.

Community Legal Clinics across northern Ontario are working together to address sexual harassment in the workplace by providing free legal advice and support to victims.

The province-wide, two-year project is funded by the Department of Justice of Canada and led by Northumberland Community Legal Clinic.

The funding will support four clinics in northern Ontario: Algoma Community Legal Clinic (Sault Ste. Marie), Keewaytinok Native Legal Services (Moosonee), Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic (Thunder Bay), and the Sudbury Community Legal Clinic.

Officials said even today, sexual harassment in the workplace is far too prevalent.

“One out of every two women report experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace, and nearly one out of every three men do, as well,” said Scott Florence of the Sudbury Community Legal Clinic.

People feel ashamed

“It’s often something that people feel ashamed about. They’re not sure what they can do about it. And so this project gives people free legal advice, free education and support to help them understand how to deal with sexual harassment if they’ve experienced it themselves -- or how to be an ally, and, ideally, how to be a better employer and make change in the workplace.”

The $1 million in funding is an expansion of a program that began in 2019. The money for the second phase of the initiative is to run until March 31, 2027.

“At the Algoma Community Legal Clinic, we’ve been participating in this project since its initial inception,” said paralegal Jill Hewgill.

“Since 2020, we partnered with Algoma University … to deliver public legal education sessions regarding sexual harassment in the workplace. Because it’s not just a legal issue, it’s a social issue, as well. So the social work department felt there was a real need to have both of those complement one another.”

Hewgill said that while the program has been successful, they saw the need to reach more people.

“We want to get to those individuals who aren’t reporting it,” she said.

Legal advice

“By doing this and involving all of the community legal clinics in the north, we’re hoping that it will bring more people forward to seek legal advice -- or at least (provide) information to give them some guidance, some resources available for them.”

Hewgill said many people don’t come forward or even look for more information is fear of repercussions.

“This is in hopes of trying to break down some of those barriers and letting victims know they’re not alone,” she said.

People experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace can call 1-833-677-5146 for free legal advice, click here or contact the nearest community legal clinic to be referred to speak to someone directly.