EmpowerWeb provides support for those affected by intimate partner violence

By David Yin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Abuse Hurts has launched EmpowerWeb, a free online platform designed to support York Region residents who are experiencing or witnessing intimate partner violence. The service – which is available in 40 languages – offers information sessions, mental health support, and connections to relevant community services.

Funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada, EmpowerWeb is intended for survivors, family members and friends, service providers, and anyone seeking to learn more. The platform features short, accessible sessions on topics such as self-esteem, boundaries, and available supports.

Abuse Hurts president Helena Kameka said that EmpowerWeb was borne from a project called Breaking Silence, Building Communities, which ran from August 2021 to March 2024.

Kameka said that Abuse Hurts held conferences across Canada that garnered around 500 people. One of the main takeaways was the lack of long-term support services.

“All these entities and agencies out there helping survivors were working in silos and didn’t really know about each other or what they did,” Kameka said. “And so, a victim would go through the system and they might need to go to several agencies.

“They would have to start from the beginning, tell their story again, and get re-traumatized every time they sign up with someone else to get further assistance. So, we thought, ‘how can we eliminate that?’”

Hence, Kameka said that EmpowerWeb, connects to different agencies to provide collaborative support.

Intimate partner violence, also known as domestic violence, refers to any form of harm directed towards an intimate partner. It can include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, economic abuse, coercive control, harassment, stalking, and cyberviolence.

York Region declared intimate partner violence an epidemic in 2023 due to a high level of reported incidents. According to the York Region Police, reports of intimate partner violence criminal incidents increased by 31 per cent from 2022 to 2023.

“The problem with that one [statistic] is that it’s only of the reported ones,” Kameka said.

National data shows that only 20 per cent of people who experienced intimate partner violence in 2019 reported it to the police.

Most reported incidents involve men committing acts against women, though intimate partner violence can affect anyone regardless of gender, age, income, race, education, ethnicity, and religion.

Abuse Hurts is a charity that provides support for people affected by abuse. The regular hotline is 1-833-292-4202 and the crisis hotline is 1-833-456-4566.

To sign up for EmpowerWeb, head to abusehurts.ca/empowerweb.

 

Photo: EmpowerWeb provides information, resources, connections, and support for those affected by intimate partner violence in York Region.