Please note that this episode discusses violence against women and gender-diverse people and may not be suitable for all audiences. Please take good care when listening.
Gender-based violence is the most pressing health risk to women and gender-diverse people in Canada. On any given night, thousands sleep in shelters because of violence at home.
However, many Violence Against Women shelters in Canada inhibit access for women who use drugs, including through rules that strictly prohibit drug use.
This is despite the fact that women and gender-diverse people who face violence are more likely to use drugs, and women and gender-diverse people who use drugs are more likely to experience violence.
The current restrictions to accessing Violence Against Women shelters for women and gender-diverse people who use drugs is untenable. These restrictions are also clear violations of Canada’s human rights obligations.
On today’s episode, we examine how some shelters and transition houses across Canada are responding to these urgent needs of women and gender-diverse people by adopting harm reduction philosophies and practices to ensure that they are meaningfully accessible to all women and gender-diverse people fleeing violence.
First, HIV Legal Network Co-Executive Director Sandra Ka Hon Chu speaks with Policy Analyst Anne-Rachelle Boulanger about the findings in our new report. That report is called: Towards Access for All: Best and Promising Practices from Low-Barrier, Harm Reduction Shelters in Canada.
Following this conversation, you will hear Anne-Rachelle speak with Lady Laforet and Anastasia Adams from the Welcome Centre Shelter for Women & Families located in Windsor, Ontario. The Welcome Centre is one of several shelters in Canada that is leading the way on incorporating harm reduction practices and ensuring that women and gender-diverse people who use drugs have equitable access to services.
Our new report and accompanying video – Towards Access for All: Best and Promising Practices from Low-Barrier, Harm Reduction Shelters In Canada – are available now.
This podcast was made possible by the financial support of Women and Gender Equality Canada.