There are myriad reasons why women don’t leave abusive relationships – fear of retaliation, distrust of police and courts to help, cultural pressure to keep the family together and financial reasons, to name just a few.
But a big part of it is housing – high rents and full shelters are putting up barriers for women who want to get out of abusive relationships.
In fact, women aren’t just leaving abusive relationships, they are “escaping,” explained Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director of Battered Women’s Support Services, which is launching a fitness fundraiser this weekend.
“No housing, no escape,” is the mantra that MacDougall repeats when explaining the barriers facing women leaving abusive relationships.
Having the right housing can make the difference between life and death, MacDougall added – for both the woman and her children.
Of the almost 95,000 requests for service the B.C. non-profit received in the first two years of the pandemic, 15 per cent were from Richmond – and while calls have plateaued, the percentage of calls coming from Richmond continues to be the same.
On average, one woman is killed by an intimate partner every 48 hours in Canada.
Some of the other reasons MacDougall cites for women not leaving include the fact abusers minimize an abusive event or the woman is isolated from her support network. Sometimes abusers threaten to deport their victim or take away their children.
Other women are cut off from resources, transportation – even the Internet – limiting their ability to seek help.
Complicating the situation might be the occasional good times and love a victim feels for an abuser.
“The abusive partner isn’t abusive all the time – there might be some good times,” MacDougall said.
But looking at the totality of the situation and the cycle of violence might persuade some women that it’s not worth it.
Fitness fundraiser supports battered women
An annual campaign to raise money for battered women’s services is launching this Saturday.
Sweat to Support Survivors is a physical fitness challenge that doubles as a fundraiser.
Anyone can sign up to raise money between July 15 and Aug. 15, setting their own personal fitness goal – be it a swim a week, walking, running or rolling every day, or just a one-day hike.
The campaign’s tagline is “A choose-your-own-adventure challenge to prevent and combat gender-based violence.”
It’s the fourth year the non-profit is running the fundraiser, started by one woman, Lucy McDonald, and a group of friends four years ago.
The goal this year is to raise $50,000 and the money supports the services provided by Battered Women’s Support Services, which includes a crisis line and legal assistance.
Participants can register until Aug. 15. Donations are accepted until Aug. 31 and tax receipts will be issued.
For more information on Sweat to Support Survivors, click here.
For the Battered Women’s Support Services crisis line, call 604-687-1867 or toll free at 1-855-687-1868.
They can also be reached at [email protected].
