The Survivor Voices Inclusion Project (SVIP) partnered with the Migrant Mothers Project to draw upon the expertise of women with precarious migratory status, towards improving anti-violence against women services. Participants of the workshop included women with precarious status who took part in Nuestra Fortaleza (a solidarity group for and by Spanish speaking women), service providers and staff from the Migrant Mothers Project.
Women in the workshop discussed many strategies for including women with precarious status as equal participants in creating knowledge, “because knowledge originates with women”. Workshop participants also discussed strategies to support authentic engagement from all parties (i.e. service providers, survivors of violence) to address the need for: general knowledge to influence policy, funding, more political involvement of women, and the need to address violence in all its forms (including how immigrant women are re victimized by immigration policy and when seeking shelter and support services in Canada).
Many thanks to Dawn and Sue, from SVIP, for their excellent facilitation and to our team of Spanish-English interpreters. We look forward to this continued dialogue.
~ RBhuyan