At Issue: Empowering Survivors; Women and Children's Shelter of Barrie

Before COVID-19, the UN estimates 243 million women experienced violence by an intimate partner during the last year. 

Now, as communities across Canada stay home, women are trapped in their homes with their abusers — often with no way to escape. 

The Women and Children’s shelter of Barrie, says they’ve noticed an uptick of calls, from women needing help — but what’s just as worrying, says Katie Taylor, the shelter's outreach coordinator, is the moments of silence. 

“There would go periods of time where there would be a n increase in calls,” said Taylor, “or intensity of those calls, and just as frightening; there would be lulls.”

“So Women in their homes who are experiencing violence and abuse didn’t escape, or can’t escape or don’t feel comfortable enough to to leave that place and risk contracting COVID.” 

Since the pandemic prompted lockdowns across Canada last spring, the shelter’s had to adjust operating procedures to keep residents and staff safe. 

It’s operating at a much lower capacity, and shared areas like kitchens and bathrooms prompted big problems. 

“We all know with  COVID safety and health reasons that can’t be allowed,” said Taylor. 

Since the shelter is 75 per cent government-funded, they rely on community fundraisers and support to bridge a considerable funding gap every year. 

That’s where they say the community steps in. 

“When we need, the community steps up ten-fold,” said Taylor. 

That extends to a new project on the horizon; a house where women escaping abuse can transition into new lives. The shelter put out a call to the community, seeking to buy a house where multiple women can gain new independence and transition out of the shelter. 

“What we’re looking for is an opportunity to extend the stay for women in the shelter, an opportunity for women to kind of get their feet wet with the full network and support of shelter services, but be paying and contributing, living their best lives.”

That independance, and community support, could be integral on their journeys away from abuse. 

Taylor says the community has a part to play in the shadow pandemic too: by supporting, listening and caring for those in abusive situations 

“If the women know their worth, and know their options,” said Taylor, “and knowing their not at fault. If you don’t care then who cares?”

“It takes a village, it takes a community to end the cycle of abuse.”