Vancouver & Lower Mainland Multicultural Family Support Services Society (VLMFSS) / Société de services de soutien aux familles multiculturelles de Vancouver et du Lower Mainland

Published purpose

This 29-month project month project will develop and implement an Attitude Development for Attaining Gender Equality curriculum for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) classes and English Language Learners (ELL) to address the root causes of gender-based violence. The Vancouver and Lower Mainland Multicultural Family Support Services Society will achieve this by engaging survivors of family violence, developing a curriculum for educational workshops on gender equity and family violence, delivering workshops to LINC and ELL classes, evaluating the project impacts, and disseminating project findings. At the end of the project, the organization will have unraveled and developed strategies to address persistent harmful gender norms and attitudes, increased networks, and collaboration to accelerate systemic change, encouraged more equitable and effective sharing of resources, and supported positive distribution of authority, voices, and decision-making power to support women’s equality. This project will educate men and boys on understanding their own attitudes and the impact on their actions and behaviours to reduce and prevent family violence. A total of six focus groups will be held with women to inform the curriculum design and six educational workshops will be delivered to LINC and ELL classes. Key partners for this project will include immigrant-serving organizations that provide LINC classes and community colleges and neighbourhood houses that provide ELL classes.