$2.5 million going towards Gender-Based Violence Project

A person sits on the floor in this file photo. (Source: CTV News)

The Ontario government is investing $2.5 million to support HWoW – A Hub Without Walls: Ending Gender-Based Violence in Windsor-Essex.

The Violence Against Women Coordinating Committee Windsor-Essex (VAWCCWE), in coordination with Hiatus House, Legal Assistance of Windsor, and the Sexual Assault Crisis Centre, announced details of the project on Friday.

HWoW is a survivor-centered initiative that brings together over 18 organizations and agencies across the region to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV) through coordinated cross-sector action.

It aims to replace fragmented services with an integrated, survivor-centered system of care that meets individuals both where they are and with the services they need.

“This announcement provides a much-needed opportunity for organizations working in the GBV sector to enhance services and increase collaboration that will better serve survivors,” says Carol Branget, executive director of the Sexual Assault Crisis Centre of Essex County. “It also offers the chance to expand education and prevention efforts across the region.”

Key components of the project include:

Mobile supports for survivors, such as service navigation for adults and youth, trauma and addiction supports

Risk identification and safety planning across many sectors.

This initiative will enable a culturally relevant prevention and educational campaign with person-centred supports.

Training will cross many sectors ensuring trauma-informed and anti-racist gender-based violence responses, and enhanced interventions for high-risk cases.

“This funding enables experts in intimate partner violence to develop a seamless service delivery model in Windsor-Essex, and to ensure that other sectors can incorporate best practices into their work with survivors,” says Shelley Gilbert, executive director of Legal Assistance of Windsor.

The model will improve collaboration, enabling professionals from different sectors to support victims of gender based violence more effectively.

According to Sylvie Guenther, ED at Hiatus House, “the committee is honoured to receive this investment into the gender-based violence sector for Windsor-Essex. We will work diligently with our partners to ensure that we support as many people as possible over the next two years. Our goal is to identify and support people early in order to prevent any further instances of femicide in our communities.”