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Workshop on gender-based violence to be hosted by Quesnel's Amata Transition House and Women's Resource Centre

Amata Transition House and the Quesnel Women's Resource Centre are collaborating to deliver an educational workshop for women who are experiencing gender-based violence.
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Marchers from a Take Back the Night event which calls for the ending of violence against women. (Observer file photo)

Amata Transition House and the Quesnel Women's Resource Centre are collaborating to deliver an educational workshop for women who are experiencing gender-based violence.

Brittany Marsh from the Women's Resource Centre said the goal is to provide a safe space and help women learn about the impacts of gender-based violence.

"We understand that privacy is really important, confidentiality is really important so we really seek to provide that," she said. "We have women that can come freely and we also have women that attend the group that have to pretend that they're going to different appointments."

Marsh said they can work with women who are worried about safety when it comes to registering or attending the workshops if they are able to reach out.

She explained that a normal session of the workshop will have a check-in, dive into the educational portion which includes topics such as the cycle of abuse and grief, loss and rebuilding. That will be followed by lunch and then a discussion around experiences and the educational aspect.

"They're so isolated," Marsh said of women who are experiencing abuse, "And then feeling undeserving, feeling like it is their fault because that's what they're made to believe, that they are deserving of violence. So learning about the abuser and how the abuser operates shifts the perspective."

The hope is that the workshop will help women who feel like they are deserving of violence to understand that they aren't and that there are resources that can help them.

"We also want women to know that if you come to the workshop it doesn't mean that you have to leave your relationship. Come to the workshop and learn and decide from there," she said.

The Women's Resource Centre offers counselling, therapy and connects women to resources they may need. Amata Transition House provides a safe, confidential space for women and children who are experiencing or at risk of abuse.

Marsh wants women to know that even if they feel alone there are supports in Quesnel that can help them.

"Support is out there and the Quesnel Women's Resource Centre is there. Reach out for help if it's safe to do so. Talk to somebody if it's safe to do so and if there's only one person where you're like 'I know I can talk to that person,' reach out to them and say 'I need help.' Because that's what begins the supporting process."

The workshop will run from Feb. 26 to April 30. People experiencing abuse who would like to register can contact Marsh at 250-992-8472 or by email at brittany.qwrc@hotmail.com. They can also contact Jasmine Halsall to register at 250-255-3558 or by email at amatahouse.sas@gmail.com.



Austin Kelly

About the Author: Austin Kelly

Born and raised in Surrey, I'm excited to have the opportunity to start my journalism career in Quesnel.
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