Guide helping remote Manitoba communities get help for intimate partner violence

Candice Waddell-Henowitch and Hillary Derewianchuk discuss the added challenges people in remote communities face when it comes to intimate partner violence.

A team of researchers is working to help people in remote Manitoba communities access the support they need to stop sexual and intimate partner violence.

Over the last year, the University of Brandon’s rural, remote and northern gendered-violence research team conducted an environmental scan to find the resources available in remote parts of the province.

From there, they contacted the organizations to get further information on the services they provide and used that information to create a guide to help people find support for sexual and intimate partner violence.

The guide includes details on the various organizations and the services they provide, as well as information to direct people where to go based off health region.

“[It’s] a one-stop shop for all the information,” said Hillary Derewianchuk, one of the members of the research team.

“Because it can be difficult to find even when I was doing it in a calm environment. Never mind if someone is in crisis and already struggling with what to do.”

Derewianchuk said during her research, she was surprised by how few resources are available, as well as the variability of what organizations offer.

“There can be very big differences between organizations,” she said in an interview with Your Morning Winnipeg on Tuesday.

“But I also found the people doing this work are so passionate about it and they really give all their hearts.”

Candice Waddell-Henowitch, who is also a part of the research team, said they are working to make the guide available across Manitoba in places where women and gender-diverse people tend to spend their time.

“So anybody who needs it, we are hoping they can find access to this resource, which has all of the phone numbers and the websites. Everything they might possibly need,” she said.

The full guide is available for free online.

• With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagacé