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Abused child was ‘out of sight’ but survived her horrific ordeal

September 26th, 2013 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Abused child was ‘out of sight’ but survived her horrific ordeal)

Report by the British Columbia Representative for Children and Youth prompts immediate reaction from governments in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, along with pledges to improve child safety

picture 503The tragic case of a young Aboriginal girl who suffered horrific abuse and neglect for 18 months at the hands of unfit care givers points to significant improvements that are required to British Columbia’s child protection system as well as to the protocol that guides the interprovincial transfer of such vulnerable children across Canada. (more…)

‘You Should Have Stayed Home’ tells a story of G20 violence and detentions

September 26th, 2013 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on ‘You Should Have Stayed Home’ tells a story of G20 violence and detentions)

Award-winning play is based on one citizen’s experience after being swept up by the Toronto police response to G20 protests—which constituted the largest peacetime mass arrest in Canadian history

picture 504You Should Have Stayed Home (aka #G20Romp) is a play about Tommy Taylor’s experience over 48 hours at the 2010 G20 weekend in Toronto. While trying to return home from his first ever protest as a law-abiding citizen at the “Free Speech Zone” at Queen’s Park, Taylor was swept up in a mass arrest, caged with 40 other people in a ten foot by twenty foot cage and denied drinking water until he passed out from dehydration. (more…)

‘Rape culture’ on display during university frosh events

September 12th, 2013 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on ‘Rape culture’ on display during university frosh events)

Pro-rape chants at St. Mary’s University and University of British Columbia lead to national attention and backlash

Photo by Michael Courier , www.michaelcourier.com

Photo by Michael Courier, www.michaelcourier.com

A chant promoting non-consensual sex with underage girls has created a firestorm of controversy on two Canadian university campuses during frosh week. ‘Student leaders’ at St. Mary’s University in Halifax were the first to be videotaped as they enthusiastically led hundreds of new students in chanting phrases including, “U is for underage…N is for no consent”. (more…)

The gap in the gender gap: Violence against women in Canada

July 18th, 2013 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on The gap in the gender gap: Violence against women in Canada)

Study shows how Canada lacks a coherent response to end violence against women—and says costs related to that violence rival those related to the use of illegal drugs

picture 493Progress on ending violence against women in Canada is stalled by the absence of a coherent national policy and consistent information about the levels of that violence says a study released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

“The difficulty of collecting data about violence against women has been a barrier to progress in ending that violence,” says the study’s author Kate McInturff. (more…)

LGBTQ youth face significant challenges

May 30th, 2013 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on LGBTQ youth face significant challenges)

LGBTQ youth experience health inequities, mostly attributable to societal stigma and marginalization and its related risks of rejection and violence, as well as lower social supports

picture 480Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, Two-Spirit, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) youth have well-documented health inequities, mostly attributable to societal stigma and marginalization and its related risks of rejection and violence, as well as lower social support. These health inequities include higher rates of mental health problems, including suicidality, sexual health issues, including STIs and teen pregnancy involvement, problem substance use, injuries, and foregone health care. They are more likely to become homeless, and face discrimination in education, employment, and housing. (source: Elizabeth Saewyc, PhD , RN, FSAHM) (more…)

Black fathers can face challenging issues

March 7th, 2013 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Black fathers can face challenging issues)

But there’s next-to-no Canadian data on black fathers. The founder of the Black Daddies Club support group intends to change that with a research project.

picture 459The Black Daddies Club was founded in 2007 by Brandon Hay in response to the lack of forums and spaces for Black men to discuss parenting issues as well as the issues facing the Black Community as a whole. Brandon told Notable.ca that the Black Daddies Club “creates safe spaces for black fathers for us to speak about our challenges as well as victories as parents, also to work with the media to create an alternate, more positive image of black fathers.” (more…)