As part of IRIS’ Working Together initiative, IRIS and its local project partners across the country organized stakeholder meetings in Vancouver, Saint John, and Toronto.

Representatives from relevant violence prevention and response sectors in each city (e.g. law enforcement, VAW and shelter services, mental health services) came together to work with community workers, advocates and self-advocates from the project’s four target women’s communities: Indigenous, migrant women, and women labeled with intellectual and mental health disabilities.

These meetings began the in-depth process of developing a community-wide response to violence against some of the most vulnerable women’s populations in each of these cities.

This solidarity-focused project seeks to build the capacity of local community services and bring together women from these target communities to affect change in practices and policies, towards ensuring a safer life.

TORONTO

VANCOUVER

SAINT JOHN