Green Haven Shelter for Women in Orillia, Ont., is calling on the community to support their Wrapped in Courage campaign amid high rates of gender-based violence.
The campaign runs throughout the month of November during Woman Abuse Prevention Month, with the theme Purple for Everyone, encouraging people to wear purple in solidarity.
The shelter is raising awareness about the high rates of femicide and gender-based violence across the province, with over 46 femicides reported by the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses in the past 12 months.
“Our hearts ache with outrage at the unacceptably high number of femicides in Ontario. It is a stark reminder of the urgent need for action to protect and empower women,” said Lisa Macey, interim executive director of Green Haven Shelter for Women
The shelter says last year in Ontario, a woman or child was killed by a man known to them at an average of every seven days.
Green Haven Shelter for Women is a not-for-profit organization that provides vital services and support to survivors of gender-based violence in Orillia and Simcoe County.
The agency is one of many participating in the 2023 Wrapped in Courage campaign, which has been raising awareness of gender-based violence and working to prevent femicide in Ontario since 2013.
On Monday, Nov. 6, at 10:30 a.m., Green Haven is inviting the Orillia community to gather and show their support for survivors of gender-based violence, their children, and the services that provide resources and safety.
At the event, a Wrapped in Courage flag will be raised at the Orillia City Centre and a Proclamation will be read to declare Nov. 25th the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
“Please join us in raising a purple flag in honour of victims and survivors of gender-based violence, as we stand together to promote a safer and more inclusive community for everyone in Orillia and area,” said Kyla Epstein, board chair of the shelter.
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, gender-based violence and femicide, the shelter says.
The shelter is selling handmade, fair trade Wrapped in Courage purple scarves throughout November with more details available on their website.
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