The following was submitted by Three Oaks Foundation.
This November during Woman Abuse Prevention Month, Three Oaks Foundation is calling on all Hastings and Prince Edward County community members to take action to respond to high rates of femicide and other forms of gender-based violence (GBV). Across Ontario, communities are coming together to support this year’s Wrapped in Courage Campaign that will run throughout November under the theme “Purple is for Everyone”; it takes a community to gender-based violence.
Three Oaks Foundation, a not-for-profit organization providing vital services and support to survivors of intimate partner violence in our community, is a proud agency partner of the 2023 Wrapped in Courage campaign that has been raising awareness of gender-based violence and working to prevent femicide in Ontario since 2013. Three Oaks Foundation is concerned about the high rates of femicide and other forms of gender-based violence (GBV) across Ontario, with over 46 femicides reported by the Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses (OAITH) in the past 12 months. Last year in Ontario, on average every 7 days a woman or child was killed by a man known to them. On November 1st 2023, Quinte West declared gender based violence and intimate partner violence an epidemic. These femicides are preventable tragedies which devastate communities and families.
On November 1st, communities across Ontario came together to show their support for GBV survivors, their children, and the services that provide resources and safety through Wrapped in Courage flag raisings and proclamations. A Wrapped in Courage flag was raised in our community at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre.
Wrapped in Courage purple scarves and flags are symbols of the courage needed by communities in supporting survivors of violence and ending the epidemic of intimate partner violence, GBV and femicide across Ontario. They signal not only a commitment to ending hate-fuelled violence but letting survivors in our community know they are not alone.
Three Oaks is selling handmade, Fairtrade Wrapped in Courage purple scarves throughout November, contact natalieo@threeoaks.ca or amyr@threeoaks.ca for details and to learn more about how you can support our work.
Three Oaks will be selling the Wrapped in Courage scarves at the Community Booth at the Quinte Mall on November 11th and 12th 2023.
Every community member has an integral role to play when it comes to preventing gender-based violence, supporting survivors and promoting gender equality.
