CANADIAN WINNERS OF
THE WOMEN’S SAFETY AWARDS 2004

A neighbourhood group that brought together local schools and street prostitutes to talk about safer streets, a project training Inuit girls to create television programs, and a municipality that markets wife assault prevention, are among the 12 recipients of the Women's Safety Awards 2004. Winners were honoured on Saturday, May 29, 2004 at the 20th Anniversary Celebration ‘Challenging the Unknown’ hosted by Changing Together: A Center for Immigrant Women held at the Santa Maria Goretti Community Centre in Edmonton.

Created by Femmes et villes international / Women in Cities International, and funded by Status of Women Canada, the awards are designed to reward good practices and policies relating to women’s safety and the improvement of women’s sense of safety. Women's groups, grassroots community organisations, municipal governments, youth organizations, business community groups and other groups from across the country competed in this 1st Women’s Safety Awards competition. The international jury was impressed with the range of terrific initiatives with very different approaches from across Canada.

An independent international jury composed of experts in the field selected the very best from Canada, where entrants competed in five categories: a) advocacy, networking and community mobilization, b) capacity-building and training, c) educational programs and public awareness, d) safety planning and design for public spaces and e) municipal gender-based policies in crime prevention and community safety.

Projects and policies were based on five criteria: Relevance of approach, locally-based, partnerships, diversity, women's empowerment and participation and outcomes. Award winners will be included in promotional activities sponsored by Femmes et villes international / Women in Cities International designed to heighten the awareness of women’s safety projects and policies on the global stage. A publication presenting detailed descriptions of the 12 winning projects will be produced and will be distributed to community groups and municipal governments in the fall of 2004. This publication will include summaries of all projects received for the Women’s Safety Awards (approximately 90 projects). Furthermore, results will be published on the Femmes et villes International / Women in Cities International website (www.femmesetvilles.org).

PUBLICATIONS

WOMEN’S SAFETY AWARDS 2004: A COMPENDIUM OF GOOD PRACTICES (English, French and Spanish). To download or order a hardcopy please visit http://www.femmesetvilles.org

THE WINNERS FOR EACH CATEGORY ARE:

Advocacy, networking and community mobilization

The R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Project: Improving the Personal Security of Women and Girls in Rural, Northeastern Ontario submitted by The Amelia Rising Sexual Assault Centre of Nipissing, North Bay, Ontario.

Freedom from Violence through Education submitted by Working Women Community Centre, Toronto, Ontario.

West End Women’s Safety Project (WEWSP) submitted by Mount Carmel Clinic – Sage House, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Capacity-building and Training

The Empowerment Project: A Train the Trainer Tool Kit for Delivering Self-Protection and Assertiveness Workshops to Women and Girls submitted by the Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre Inc., Fredericton, New Brunswick.

City of Charlottetown Family Violence Prevention Program submitted by the City of Charlottetown and the Premier's Action Committee on Family Violence Prevention, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

What's Age Got To Do With It? submitted by the B.C./Yukon Society of Transition Houses, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Educational Programmes and Public Awareness

The WTN/IBC Girls TV Camp – Nunavut submitted by the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation, Toronto, Ontario.

Women and Violence: Education is Prevention submitted by SWOVA Community Development and Research Society, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.

Project Respect submitted by the Victoria Women’s Sexual Assault Centre, Victoria, British Columbia.

Safety Planning and Design for Public Spaces

Conscience urbaine submitted by L’Écho des femmes de la Petite Patrie, Montréal, Québec.

Municipal Gender-Based Policies in Crime Prevention and Community Safety

Cowichan Valley Safer Futures Program submitted by the Cowichan Women Against Violence Society, Duncan, British Columbia.

Confrontation Management for Women at High Risk, submitted by the Vancouver Police Department, Vancouver, British Columbia.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tel.: 514-861-6123
Fax.: 514-288-8763
email: concours@femmesetvilles.org
website: http://www.femmesetvilles.org