Policies Matter was undertaken by Woman ACT as the trustee organization in collaboration with the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic and Elizabeth Fry Toronto
WomanACT is a policy development and planning body that coordinates an efficient and effective approach to providing services for assaulted women and their families. The 30 person general council is made up of senior level representatives of each of the key sectors in the community response to woman abuse. As a coordinating body, the Council: identifies gaps in service; supports and facilitates policy development and pilot projects; and undertakes research and actions that promote institutional and systemic change.
WomanACT has a network of standing committees that generally meet monthly and are made up of front line service providers. One of the most important philosophic principles of the Council is that the voices of women survivors should inform policy and program development and planning. WomanACT is pleased to support Women's Voices for Action - the committee of the Council composed of women survivors.
WomanACT will be engaging with the Council and other violence against women allies to move forward recommendations developed through the Policies Matter project. For more information, please see http://www.womanabuse.ca.
The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic is a specialized clinic for women experiencing violence. Barbra Schlifer was an idealistic young lawyer whose life was cut short by violence on the night of her call to the bar of Ontario. In her memory, the Barbra Schlifer Clinic assists 4,000 women a year to build lives free from violence through counselling, legal representation and language interpretation. The clinic offers women who experience violence: legal help in family, immigration and criminal law; compassionate support from diverse, skilled counsellors, and interpretation and translation in more than 90 languages. The Clinic also advocates for law reform and social changes that benefit women, and provides professional development opportunities for service providers.
The Clinic also advocates for law reform and social changes that benefit women, and provides professional development opportunities for service providers.
For more information please refer to http://schliferclinic.com.
Elizabeth Fry Toronto provides support to women who are, have been or are at risk of being in conflict with law. It provides supportive services, community based programs and transitional housing to help women create meaningful changes in their lives for the benefit of themselves, their families and the community as a whole. Elizabeth Fry Toronto is the only social service agency in Toronto with a specific mandate to provide programs and services for and about women in conflict with the law, and provides individual and group counselling, crisis intervention, release planning, referrals, transitional housing, and community education.
For more information, please refer to http://www.efrytoronto.org.