The City of London has indeed taken a step forward in dealing with issue of violence against women.
In conjunction with the advocacy and communications committee of the London Coordinating Committee to End Women Abuse (LCCEWA), the city has developed and launched a new and innovative staff training program addressing women abuse and family and sexual violence. The program – I Step Forward to End Violence and Abuse in my Community, Workplace and Home – was presented to council members at the board of control meeting on Jan. 29.
According to Megan Walker, executive director of London Abused Women's Centre and a member of the LCCEWA's advisory and communication committee, "This work is the culmination of years of work."
She credits both the arrival of Jeff Fielding, London's chief administrator officer, with his commitment in changing the culture of the workplace while creating a safe environment for employees, and Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best, with the establishment of the Mayor's Task Force to end Woman Abuse launched in 2006, in helping bring about a change in the atmosphere at City Hall.
It was the intention of the task force to bring together community leaders from the business, government and human services sectors to take action against the growing issue of violence against women.
With the help of the task force the mayor said she hoped to prepare all sectors in the City of London in a more effective response in dealing with the issue of women abuse through personal, social and political action. Many of the goals established in the mayor's task force are being put into action in the I Step Forward training initiative.
"I Step Forward to End Violence and Abuse in my Community, Workplace and Home is the first of its kind in Canada," says Louise Pitre, LCCEWA chairperson. The program's mandate, she says, is essentially to promote healthy workplaces and communities free of harassment, discrimination and abuse.
Respect at work was the initial training in the overall initiative called, Standing Together – Employees Caring for Employees. It's objective is to raise awareness and understanding about relating effectively at work, nurturing diversity and fostering a work environment free of harassment, discrimination and bullying.
The I Step Forward campaign is the second training program in the overall initiative and will be rolled out to city employees in March. The training hopes to assist employees in recognizing and responding to issues of women abuse, sexual violence and family violence – including elder, child and intimate partner abuse – by providing employees with information on the dynamics of violence and abuse; tools and strategies on how to access supports; safety planning; supervisor training and access to community resources.
Shelley Yeo, representing Women's Community House and Sondra Lyn Coulter, program manager of the London Abuse Centre, presented a video to those in attendance in the council chambers. Mayor DeCicco-Best, along with Chief of Police Murray Faulkner and Mr. Fielding appeared in the video advocating on behalf of the over 2,000 city-employed workers.
Two scenarios played out. The first portrays a female worker receiving an email from her partner begging for forgiveness and repeatedly declaring his love for her. There is a flashback showing the physical abuse the woman endures at the hands of her partner.
The second scenario is one that perhaps may be all too familiar. It takes place in a hockey rink where a small child is verbally abused by his dad for not keeping his hockey stick on the ice.
Two other scenarios not shown dealt with elder abuse and sexual harassment.
The timing of this endeavour couldn't be better. On Dec. 9, 2009, the Ontario Legislature passed Bill 168, the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act. The act deals with violence and harassment in the workplace. Bill 168 will come into effect on June 15.
Employers will be required to develop policies to address workplace violence and harassment and to also assess the risk of violence in its workplace. Employers will be required to share these policies with the employees by providing practical workplace training using both in-house and local experts showcasing best practices in reducing workplace violence.
The city's I Step Forward training program is also transportable, a goal of Mayor DeCicco-Best and the Task Force to End Women Abuse. The mayor said enhancing quality of life for all Londoners in their workplace, home and community was the main objective of the task force, something she says that through this training program could soon be a reality.
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