A York Region women’s centre is set to expand its programs for intimate partner violence to younger teenagers after receiving a provincial grant.
Newmarket-Aurora MPP Dawn Gallager Murphy presented the $77,800 Ontario Trillium Foundation cheque, to the Women's Centre of York Region in Newmarket today.
The funding will go toward a pilot program providing youth groups for girls aged 16 to 24, aimed at educating them about intimate partner violence.
Running programs for younger ages is a first for the centre, according to executive director Niv Bala. Its counselling services are usually for clients aged 18 and up, but Bala said they had heard from several clients at the centre how they wished programming was available for them at a younger age.
“We hear from a lot of our clients who have experienced intimate partner violence that they experienced their first situation in their teenage years,” said Bala. “We hear that a lot that the first example of intimate partner violence usually happens (at) about 16 years of age.”
Bala added, “Sixteen is a pivotal year.”
The groups will combine social activities like artwork, vision boarding, music and movie nights with teaching about topics related to abuse, healthy relationships, identifying red flag markers of unhealthy relationships and how to set boundaries.
“We're trying to stimulate discussion among these young ladies, so they can really see that that information and power is within them,” said Bala. “The hope is that by doing these activities together, they will build a positive support network for each other, to support each other, so when they do get into situations that they feel are unhealthy, they will be able to support one another. Because we also know that it can be hard to do things by yourself.”
Gallagher Murphy said exercises like vision boarding had helped her later in life to decide to run for political office, and was glad to see opportunities for younger women to benefit from them, adding that the York Region women’s centre is one of her “favourite non-profits.”
“We need our women and our young women thriving in our community because if they are thriving, the entire family is thriving," she said.
More information about the centre’s programs can be found online.
