“It has helped me gain a career that I love and be able to show my daughter that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”  – Bursary Recipient  The federal government has called violence against women an epidemic in Canada. Women who experience violence often face significant barriers to achieving financial independence and stability. These barriers can include a lack of access to education, employment opportunities, and safe housing. Without the necessary supports, many women in BC find...

We are thrilled to announce that registration for the 2024 BCSTH Annual Training Forum (ATF) is now open! This year’s theme is Strength in Solidarity: Weaving Communities and Generations. We are featuring 31 workshops (including an evening Wellness selection), the therapy dogs are back and we have 3 fabulous keynote presentations featuring Vikki Reynolds, Monique Gray Smith and our MC, Madelaine McCallum. Queer as Funk will once again treat us to a dance party and we can all celebrate strength...

We are pleased to inform you of the successful lobbying efforts led by Police Victim Services of BC (PVSBC) in concert with the BC Society of Transition Houses (BCSTH) and Ending Violence Association of BC (EVA BC) to extend the mental disorder presumption under the Workers Compensation Act to include social workers, victim service workers and specified frontline social and community service occupations, including transition house workers and shelter workers. Sincere thanks to all for this collective effort to ensure cross sectoral frontline...

A huge thank you to all of the Transition Housing and Supports Programs and PEACE Programs who participated in the 24 Hour Census on November 29-30, 2023. We are pleased to launch the full reports for the Prevention of Violence Against Women Week 2024. Key findings show that in just one day, 140 Transition Housing and Supports Programs and 68 PEACE Programs served 2,222 women, children and youth experiencing violence in their homes. However, a further 825 women, youth and children...

BCSTH is thrilled by the announcement today, March 25, 2024, by Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity, Kelli Paddon, Office of the Minister of Finance and by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General of $1,398,000.00 to enhance funding to the Prevention, Education, Advocacy, Counselling and Empowerment (PEACE) program and Violence is Preventable program (VIP). This is one of the first announcements under Safe and Supported, BC’s Gender Based Violence Action Plan and it is under the Prevention Pillar. BC signed their...

We are thrilled to announce that BCSTH has been awarded the prestigious CMHC Gold Roof Award for Knowledge to Action for the groundbreaking research on the Women-Centred Housing Design Toolkit, lead by Ghazaleh Akbarnejad. At the heart of the project was gathering insights directly from women and housing experts, allowing us to understand and address the unique housing needs of women and their children after violence. The result? A comprehensive toolkit featuring women-centred design principles, evidence-based designs, and housing floorplans....

The 2023 24 Hour Census survey numbers are in! A huge thank you to all of the Transition Housing and Supports Programs and PEACE Programs who participated in the 24-Hour Census on November 29 & 30, 2023. Key findings show that in just one day, 140 Transition Housing and Supports Programs and 68 PEACE Programs served 2,222 women, children and youth experiencing violence in their homes. However, a further 825 women, youth and children were unable to be served by...

BCSTH is pleased to launch the final report from the BCSTH Bursary Fund (BBF) Evaluation Project. This report evaluated the BC Society of Transition Houses (BCSTH) Bursary Fund (BBF), a flexible financial assistance program that provides survivors who have accessed BCSTH member programs with bursaries of up to $3,000 for education and employment opportunities to support themselves to become financially independent. Online surveys, focus groups and interviews were conducted between June – November, 2023 with women who have received a...

B.C. is ramping up safety and supports for survivors of gender-based violence with a new three-year action plan released on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023. “We have a great deal of work underway in B.C. to help address the systemic issue of gender-based violence,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Finance. “Today, we move forward with our next steps, in alignment with our partners and community service providers, in supporting survivors and making our communities safer.” Safe and Supported: B.C.’s Gender-Based Violence Action Plan...

December 8, 2023 – Vancouver, British Columbia — Women and Gender Equality Canada Living a life free from violence is a fundamental human right, unfortunately gender-based violence (GBV) continues to be a significant barrier to achieving gender equality in Canada. It is one of the most pervasive, deadly, and deeply rooted human rights violations of our time that affects people of all backgrounds, genders, and ages.  Today, the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, Katrine Conroy,...

BCSTH is pleased to announce the launch of the Women-Centred Housing Design Toolkit. This Toolkit (PDF and online version) is the result of multiple engagement sessions and contributions from women with lived experiences of violence, and consultations with housing and anti-violence sectors, and architects. In the Women-Centred Housing Design Toolkit, you will find foundations and principles of designing long-term housing that is suitable and appropriate for women and their children/dependents with experiences of violence. Practical design strategies and actions, housing floor plans, and...

A huge thank you to all of the Transition Housing and Supports Programs and PEACE Programs who participated in the 24 Hour Census on November 30th & December 1st 2022. We are pleased to launch the full reports for the Prevention of Violence Against Women Week 2023. Key findings show that in just one day, 94 Transition Housing and Supports Programs and 63 PEACE Programs served 1,847 women, children and youth experiencing violence in their homes. However, a further 571...

On this 2023 International Women’s Day, the BC Society of Transition Houses honour and celebrate our members, partners, anti-violence groups and women supporting organizations for the life saving work they do every day to end violence against all women, children and youth. Your dedication and determined efforts have made a significant difference in the lives of women, children and youth in British Columbia. We THANK YOU for your continued support and look forward to working alongside you as we continue...

The 2022 24 Hour Census survey numbers are in! A huge thank you to all of the Transition Housing and Supports Programs and PEACE Programs who participated in the 24 Hour Census on November 30th & December 1st 2022. Key findings show that in just one day, 94 Transition Housing and Supports Programs and 63 PEACE Programs served 1,847 women, children and youth experiencing violence in their homes. However, a further 571 women, youth and children were unable to be...

“One of the things that makes this National Inquiry unique is that we are not investigating a past wrong, but one that is still ongoing and that is getting worse. Acts of violence stemming from the structures of colonization and coupled with racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia are not few and far between, but pervasive, immediate, and urgent. However, this violence is also preventable – if Canadians are willing to change.”  Page 85 of Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final...

News Release November 25, 2022 – Victoria, British Columbia — Women and Gender Equality Canada Crisis hotlines are a lifeline to survivors of gender-based violence and are critical support services. During the pandemic, organizations operating crisis lines in British Columbia (BC) reported an increase in the volume of calls as victims of violence and those seeking related services experienced barriers to safely accessing services.  Today, the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, announced $3 million to...

The 2022 BCSTH AGM will take place on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, 1:15-2:15pm PST at the Radisson Hotel Vancouver Airport, Richmond BC. The AGM will also be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person. The AGM is open to BCSTH members and the public. We are asking all attendees (in-person and livestream) to RSVP online by Tuesday, October 11. For more information and AGM documents, please visit 2022 AGM page, if you have any questions, please contact...

BCSTH has developed this toolkit to encourage candidates running in the October 2022 municipal election to work to eliminate violence against women and children in their community. The toolkit includes background information and key points that will help inform candidates about the nature and scope of gender-based violence in BC, as well questions you may wish to ask candidates and a letter template. Please contact [email protected] with any questions or concerns.

89% of BC’s anti-violence workers report having supported service users through experiences Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV).  TFGBV occurs when digital spaces and devices are intentionally used to harass, abuse and or exploit others based on gender and/or sexuality. In August 2021, the BC Society of Transition Houses surveyed British Columbia’s anti-violence programs to get a better understanding of the prevalence of TFGBV experienced by women, children and youth accessing anti-violence programs. The survey results summarize the scope and method of...

BCSTH is launching a new Tech Safety Project, funded by a MPSSG CFO grant, “Tech Without Violence in Rural and Remote BC”. The new project responds to reported gaps in technology literacy for anti-violence workers and program-users in rural, remote, and Indigenous (RRI) communities. The project will partner with technology and digital literacy experts, and work with an advisory committee of members to produce BC based digital literacy resources that are culturally safe, trauma informed, suited to the specific needs...