Healthy Youth Network

Published purpose

This 29-month project will support a feminist response and recovery from the current impacts of COVID-19, through systemic change. Healthy Youth Network will achieve this by building and expanding partnerships to formalize the integration of GBV Ally considerations into the City of Hamilton’s Youth Engagement Strategy, strengthening partnerships with the Hamilton public school boards to formalize their collection of GBV-related data; strengthening partnerships to develop and pilot the Ally Program in Waterdown District High School, which incorporates the curriculum-based ‘EngageMENt’ and ‘EmpowerHER’ programs with Halton Women’s Place, the speaker-based ‘Be More Than a Bystander’ program with Interval House of Hamilton, with youth-led events aimed at raising awareness about GBV and building healthy relationships; and, developing and launching GBV Ally resources on their online portals. At the end of the project, the organization will have contributed to addressing systemic barriers by addressing persistent and harmful gender norms and attitudes, advancing inclusive policies and practices, increasing networks and collaboration, and supporting positive distribution of authority, voices, and decision-making power to support women’s equality. Healthy Youth Network will work with partners, including the City of Hamilton, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, Halton Women’s Place, Interval House of Hamilton, and youth-serving networks and organizations. These partners will support training, community engagement, awareness raising and policy and program changes that will ensure that progress on preventing and addressing GBV in the Hamilton/Flamborough area is not rolled back as a result of the pandemic.