Rallying in Chatham to end violence against women

If there is ever going to be an end to gender-based violence, education will be key, and it will be even more effective if it starts at home.

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Erin Tewinkel, the mother of two young boys and a girl, had her children taking part in an annual rally on the Third Street Bridge in Chatham on Wednesday.

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The rally is organized by the Zonta Club of Chatham-Kent as part of the 16 days of activism for the international day of elimination of violence against women that began on Saturday.

“I think it’s important for all humans to understand why this is important,” said Tewinkel, who is a Zonta Club member.

She wants her children to be able to stand up and use their voice.

“What can men do?” she said. “You can interrupt when you see something happen. You can use your voice when your buddies are making really inappropriate jokes.”

She added even when something is said as a joke it normalizes violence against women.

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Tewinkel wants her children to understand “we have to stand up for people. . . Our voice is powerful and using it helps keep others safe.”

Prior to the rally, a flag raising was held at Civic Center to mark women abuse prevention month.

Noting no one organization can end the abuse of women, Karen Hunter, executive director of the Chatham-Kent Women’s Center said violence against women is not new phenomenon.

“This is an epidemic,” she said.

The World Health Organization estimates one out of three women is abused either sexually or physically and usually in their own home by an intimate partner, Hunter said.

“We need to work together in collaboration to end this violence,” she said.

Chatham councilor Alysson Storey provided some grim statistics regarding violence against women. They included:

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• Every six days in Canada a woman is killed by her intimate partner.
• During the past year, 52 women were victims of femicide in Ontario.
• Gender and sexually diverse and Indigenous individuals are particularly at risk.
• In 2022, there were 1,788 intimate violence calls to Chatham-Kent police.
• According to Statistics Canada, 88 per cent of intimate partner violence goes unreported.
• Violence against women costs the justice system, health care systems, social service agencies and municipalities nearly $10 billion annually.

Storey also noted males have a special ability and responsibility to help end systemic and everyday forms of gender-based violence.

“You can choose to intervene when a colleague is being harassed and you can speak up in support of anti-violence policies,” she said.

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Thanks to the help of Chatham-Kent coordinating committee to end violence against women, the councilor said at the Dec. 11 Chatham-Kent council meeting she plans to put forward a motion at council meeting to raise awareness about gender-based violence and its impact on the economy and society.

Storey said it is also important to listen to and believe survivors.

“When someone shares their story of violence, that’s the first step in breaking that cycle of abuse,” she said.

Chatham-Kent police chief Gary Conn said it is the duty of police officers to protect and serve and that includes addressing intimate partner violence.

“We must be diligent in recognizing the signs of abuse and provide support to victims.”

Conn said intimate partner violence is a violation of fundamental human rights that not only impacts victims but also their families and the community as a whole. Since intimate partner violence often goes unreported, he said it is crucial that education and prevention strategies are promoted at a young age.

“By teaching our children about healthy relationships and respect, we can create a community that rejects violence and fosters empathy and understanding,” Conn said.

Mayor Darrin Canniff said, “I look forward to the day we don’t have to gather here to talk about stopping violence against women.”

He looks forward to the day where there is a celebration because there’s no longer violence against women.

Echoing the need to educate people about this issue, Canniff said, “It really hurts me to think about how many people are impacted by this.”

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