Williams Lake’s Committee for Action Against Sexual Violence is hosting its second annual Breaking the Silence on Sexual Violence conference on Saturday, Oct. 13 at the Pioneer Complex.
While the one-day conference is free, anyone interested is asked to register ahead of time by Oct. 9 so the organizers can determine how much food to order for the luncheon.
Guest speakers for the event include Dr. Jacqueline Holler, associate professor with the department of history, women’s studies and gender studies at the University of Northern B.C., Gail Edinger, a consultant and anti-violence advocate for women and children’s safety, Irene Willsie, executive director of the Women’s Contact Society (WCS) and Maggie Ranger, an outreach worker with the WCS.
Holler is an historian of early colonial Mexico who also teaches contemporary Latin American history and teaches and conducts research in the area of Gender Studies.
She is author and co-author of books and articles on colonial Latin American history; her primary research interests lie at the juncture of gender, sexuality, emotion, health, and religion.
Edinger has over 30 years experience in B.C. working as a feminist across sectors to improve safety, equality and access to justice for women and their children.
She has consulted extensively with systems and community groups around the province in efforts to support institutional and local improvements in policies and practices affecting women’s safety.
After many years with Ending Violence Association of BC she recently retired. Now she is a jewelry designer and a passionate advocate for women’s safety in her spare time.
There will be a panel discussion with Willsie, Edinger, Holler and Harry Jennings to address rape culture.
Doors open at 8:30 a.m. and the conference will go until about 3 p.m.
Committee member Bel Hume said the first conference was born out of the idea of encouraging people to join the committee and become part of an effort to provide education, resources and information.
“Last year the conference went well for our first one. We didn’t know what to expect,” Hume said. “At the end of the conference we had sheets of paper around the room for people to provide feedback which has helped us develop this conference.”
Read more: Silent no more
In the new year, the committee plans to begin working more with First Nations communities.
Committee member Eva Navrot said they’ve developed a powerpoint presentation they want to share and they hope to offer first response training for sexual assault in the future.
“Specifically we would volunteer and help in the hospital and hopefully do outreach to the communities so they could also take part in the training in Williams Lake.”
Committee member Peggy Christianson she and Hume both worked at Cariboo Memorial Hospital and said a client arriving at the hospital needs a private room so they are not mixed in with other emergency patients.
“Both Bel and I know what it’s like in emergency so it would be good to have a private supportive place for the police to conduct interviews and I attended the redevelopment of the hospital meeting and spoke up about that,” Christianson said.
Navrot said it is a big step to attend the conference for some people.
“The conference is safe and confidential and is open to everyone wanting to make ours a safer community.”
People can register by calling 250-392-4118 or e-mail info@womenscontact.org.
Read more: Breaking the silence on sexual violence
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