DDooiinngg ssoo mmuucchh wwiitthh ssoo lliittttllee...... Overview and profile of French- language violence against women services (1994-2004) Final version Lucie Brunet Community-based researcher Brunet Sherwood Consultants and Marie-Luce Garceau Professor School of Social Work Laurentian University Preliminary version, September 10 2004 Revised, December 6 2004 This research was made possible thanks to the financial support of the following funders: Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario; Office of Francophone Affairs of Ontario; Heritage Canada; Ontario Women’s Directorate. The authors are grateful for their support. Doing so much with so little…Overview and profile of French-language violence against women services was submitted for external review before being presented as a working document to Action ontarienne contre la violence faite aux femmes in the context of preparations for the November 2004 Forum on the Development of French-language violence against women services. It was endorsed by Forum 2004 participants on November 6 2004. The English version of this document was made possible thanks to the financial support of Office of Francophone Affairs, Ministry of the Attorney General, Ontario Women's Directorate and Ministry of Community and Social Services. English translation: Anne Molgat Revision: Maureen Aubin Layout: Denise Pratte This document is available in large print on request. This document may be reproduced provided the source is cited. This document is available on the AOcVF website in the Publications section. Copies of this document may be obtained by contacting: 288 Dalhousie, Suite E Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 7E6 Tel. : 613.241.8433 Fax : 613.241.8435 [email protected] www.francofemmes.org/aocvf ii Doing so much with so little... Overview and profile of French-language violence against women services (1994-2004) Acknowledgements The researchers wish to thank the organizations and individuals who collaborated in various ways in the preparation of Doing so much with so little... Overview and profile of French-language violence against women services (1994-2004). Special thanks to: • those who agreed to be interviewed or consulted, or who participated in the survey by completing the questionnaire; • the member groups of Action ontarienne contre la violence faite aux femmes (AOcVF), for their availability and their support; • AOcVF’s partner groups who organized and who participated in the consultations: the Fédération de la jeunesse franco-ontariennne (FESFO), the Mouvement ontarien des femmes immigrantes francophones (MOFIF), the Centre ontarien de prévention des agressions (COPA), OPALE (a group of Francophone women with disabilities in Prescott-Russell) ; • the steering committee for this overview and profile of French-language violence against women services: Ghislaine Sirois and Diane Dupont of AOcVF ; • the support committee: Céline Pelletier and Gaëtane Pharand ; • the external evaluation committee: Sylvie Aikens, Julie Boissonneault, Madeleine Dagenais, Diane Dupont, Gaëtane Pharand, and Ghislaine Sirois. Doing so much with so little… iii Overview and profile of French-langage violence against women services (1994-2004) Table of contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................................................ III TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................................................................... V TABLE OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................................... VII LIST OF ACRONYMS.....................................................................................................................................VIII SUMMARY...........................................................................................................................................................IX INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................................. 1 Context.................................................................................................................................................. 1 Objectives of the document .................................................................................................................. 1 Structure of the document .................................................................................................................... 2 To guide your reflection in preparation for Forum 2004 ....................................................................... 3 CHAPTER 1: METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................ 5 CHAPTER 2: THE CURRENT SITUATION IN THE AREA OF VIOLENCE ............................................. 7 2.1 Definition of violence ................................................................................................................ 7 2.2 Definition of the feminist approach........................................................................................... 8 2.3 Philosophy and values common to sexual assault centres and shelters................................. 8 2.4 Data on violence....................................................................................................................... 9 2.5 Evolution in the forms of violence........................................................................................... 11 2.6 Profile of Francophone women in a minority context………………………………………....... 12 2.7 Impact of issues related to violence ....................................................................................... 13 2.8 Backlash against the women’s movement ............................................................................ 17 CHAPTER 3: RETROSPECTIVE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF FRENCH-LANGUAGE SERVICES............................................................................................................................................................ 21 3.1 Waves of government investment in French-language services ........................................... 21 3.2 Comparison of the funding of French-language and English-language services ................. 24 3.3 Impact of the 1994 “Sensibiliser, décider, agir” Forum .......................................................... 26 3.4 Elements guiding the development of French-language services ........................................ 31 3.5 Successes of the Francophone violence against women movement .................................... 34 3.6 Factors in the success and winning strategies of the Francophone violence against women movement .................................................................................................................. 40 CHAPTER 4: PROVINCIAL PORTRAIT OF SERVICES THAT ADDRESS VIOLENCE ...................... 43 4.1 Services offered by organizations .......................................................................................... 44 4.2 Clientele served and to be served in the future...................................................................... 63 4.3 Organization funding .............................................................................................................. 72 4.4 Partnerships ........................................................................................................................... 77 4.5 Challenges and difficulties...................................................................................................... 80 4.6 Organization priorities............................................................................................................. 83 4.7 A conclusion to the provincial portrait: autonomy of French-language violence against women services ..................................................................................................................... 87 CHAPTER 5: REGIONAL PORTRAITS OF SERVICES.............................................................................. 89 5.1 North-West Region................................................................................................................. 90 5.2 North-East Region ................................................................................................................. 90 Doing so much with so little… v Overview and profile of French-language violence against women services (1994-2004) 5.3 Mid-North Region .................................................................................................................. 91 5.4 East Region ............................................................................................................................ 92 5.5 South-Central Region ............................................................................................................ 93 5.6 South-West Region ............................................................................................................... 94 5.7 Other non-served or underserved regions ............................................................................ 95 CHAPTER 6: THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENTS ........................................................................................... 97 6.1 Evolution and impact of the policies of three successive governments at Queen’s Park ...... 97 6.2 Analysis of the positions of the provincial government