Si vous désirez obtenir des services en français, prière d’appeler la ligne FEM’AIDE au 1-877-336-2433.
The Violence Against Women (VAW) Program assists women who have experienced abuse during the course of their lives. Abuse may have occurred in childhood, during a past relationship, or it may be an ongoing concern in a current relationship”and a woman may have escaped abuse recently, last year, or a long time ago.
Our counselling services for women who have experienced any type of abuse, are available in English, Tamil, Somali, Urdu, Hindi, Farsi, Dari and Pashto and to all women who live and/or work in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
In the VAW program, although our primary focus is on the abuse women sustain from men with whom they are involved – or have been involved – in intimate relationship, we also provide services to women who have experienced abuse from other family members. Woman abuse spans a large range of possibilities and does not always end with a final incident of violence or abuse in a specific context. Even when the threat is gone, a woman who was victimized may spend years working through the effects of what she experienced. And multiple experiences may trigger earlier effects, causing deep tendrils of pain to infiltrate what appears to be a well-functioning exterior.
If you are in an abusive same-sex relationship, you may want to visit our David Kelly Services page
If you are a senior experiencing abuse please visit our Seniors and Caregivers Support Services page
We also provide counselling for women who have been labelled with developmental or intellectual disabilities. Please visit Women with Intellectual Disabilities page.
For more information, contact:
This fall, FST will be offering a peer mentor training program. Over a few training sessions in September, participants will develop leadership and peer mentoring skills and make connections with other labelled women.
Once they’ve completed the training, they may have the opportunity to participate as peer mentors in an FST peer mentoring program that is being developed for women with labels who have been sexually abused.
Within the next two to three weeks, we are hoping to recruit up to 10 women who meet the following criteria:
TTC transportation costs will be covered and on-site child care can be offered.
If you know of any women who appear to meet the criteria and who you think would be interested, please give them them the attached flyer and/or contact Vania Sukola. Vania can be reached at Family Service Toronto at 416-586-9780 ext 446 or at vaniasu@familyservicetoronto.org.
Family Service Toronto (FST), with support from York University, is running a small feasibility study looking at providing counselling and peer support to women labelled with intellectual/developmental disabilities (ID/DD). The study is funded by the Women’s Xchange at Women’s College Hospital.
Our research team includes Marcia Rioux, PhD, at the School of Health Policy and Management of York University. Our study has been approved by the York’s Ethics Review Board.
Within the next month, we need to recruit 10 women who meet the following criteria:
The study participants will receive counselling and peer support. They will not receive any financial compensation for participating in the study.
All women who are referred as study participants will be offered counselling, regardless of whether they choose to participate in the study or not.
If you know of any women who may be suitable to recruit to either group, please contact Vania Sukola. She will explain the referral process. Vania can be reached at Family Service Toronto at 416-586-9780 ext 446 or vaniasu@familyservicetoronto.org.
If you have any questions about this study prior to considering a referral, please don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Maria Huijbregts, Research Lead and Director of Knowledge Building at FST, at 416-595-4032 or mariahu@familyservicetoronto.org.
Programs:
Services:
Woman abuse is defined as the intent by a man to intimidate and control his female partner, either by threat or by physical force on her person, her children, her pets or her property. The purpose of abuse is to induce fear and gain control. Underlying all abuse is a power imbalance between offender and victim.
If you are in danger now call 911.
If you are in crisis now, please call one of the following lines:
Assaulted Women’s Helpline: 416-863-0511
Distress Centre Line: 416-408-4357
Info & Resource Line: 211 – someone will direct you
FST-VAW Early Warning Signs quiz is a simple way for girls and women of all ages and abilities to determine if they are in an unhealthy or dangerous relationship. The content of the questions were informed by women who were in abusive relationship and what they said they experienced with their partners. Read or take the Early Warning Signs quiz, or download/print Early Warning Signs brochure.
To learn more about abuse please read VAW – Issues you may be facing
A new weekly group for women offered by Family Service Toronto – Violence Against Women program. Join us as we discuss the impact of abuse on us as mothers and parents.
Key topics that will be discussed are:
This is a safe and inclusive space for all women-identified parents.
Date & time: April 25 – June 20, Thursdays, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Location: Family Service Toronto, 128A Sterling Rd. Suite 202
Registration: 416.595.9618
A workshop for women who are eager to improve their quality of life and live in an environment free of abuse. Series offered by the Violence Against Women (VAW) program of Family Service Toronto. The sessions are designed to provide women with the opportunity to talk, support each other and learn different ways to improve their relationships.
Topics include:
Date: to be announced
Light refreshments and TTC tokens are provided
For more information: please contact Habiba @ (416) 585 2044 ext. 455
Family Service Toronto – Violence Against Women Program is offering an 8-week self-compassion group for women-identified survivors of trauma. The group provides a supportive environment for women to cultivate a loving relationship with themselves, nurture resilience, and engage in creative self-expression.
Date: to be announced
Location: Church St. (location is wheelchair accessible; no onsite parking)
Refreshments will be provided.
Child Care subsidy and TTC tokens available if needed.
Registration is required.
For more information/registration call our Service Access Unit at: 415 595 9618
Topics Include:
Violence Against Women – Issues you may be facing
The following community agencies and supports are available for women who need support or who would like to talk to someone anonymously about their situation. For more agencies that provide support, please go to 211Toronto or call the helplines listed below.
Police and Ambulance
Call 911
For non-emergency police matters call 416-808-2222
Assaulted Women’s Helpline
Tel: 416-863-0511; TTY 416-364-8762
Hours: Monday – Sunday 24 hours: Service is provided in over 154 languages
Distress Centres 24 hours
Tel: 416-408-4357
Hours: Monday Sunday 24 Hours
Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicultural Women Against Rape
Tel: 416-597-8808; TTY 416-597-1214
Hours: Crisis Line Monday-Sunday 24 hours
Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic: Offers legal representation and professional counselling to women who have experienced violence.
Tel: 416-323-9149
Scarborough Women’s Centre: A women’s resource centre which provides information, education and support services to assist survivors of abuse.
Tel: 416-439-7111
YWCA Toronto: Provides an array of programs for women who are being abused, including a loan program, group programs, housing support and community events
Tel: 416-961-8100
Victim Services Program of Toronto: This agency provides crisis intervention, safety planning, and support immediately after an incident
Tel: 416-808-7066
Please use discretion when going to these sites; for your safety, make a plan to empty your browser.
Amnesty International: Activism revolving around putting a stop to violence against women around the world.
Canadian Domestic Violence and Abuse Agencies List: Global inventory of hotlines, shelters, refuges, crisis centres and women’s organizations
Dawn Ontario: Disabled Women’s Network Ontario
Health Canada: Violence Against Women: Information provided by Health Canada regarding Violence Against Women
Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women: Local community agency providing legal/safety information
The Canadian Women’s Foundation
White Ribbon Campaign: Men working to end men’s violence against women.