DisAbled Women's Network Canada

Published purpose

Through this 36-month project, DisAbled Women’s Network (DAWN) Canada will conduct community-based research that will help improve GBV services for at-risk groups by developing an action-oriented analysis of the peer support continuum. This research project will address the programmatic challenges associated with developing and implementing peer support structures to address the complex, systemic nature of GBV. To do so, the project will include interviews with various actors across the peer support continuum in disability and GBV sectors, the creation of case studies, and a podcast series that explores the role of peer support and the various forms it can take in policy and programs. DAWN Canada will develop a dissemination strategy for the case studies and podcasts to share information on the research findings. With the supplemental funds and extension provided in early 2026, DAWN Canada will relaunch the project in communities by developing and implementing an accessible, trauma-informed GBV community mapping framework; conducting environmental scans and service inventories; and hosting survivor-led consultation sessions to validate services, identify barriers, and assess where peer support fills systemic gaps. DAWN Canada will also complete a cross-community comparative analysis and summary, plain language resource guides, and host a national knowledge-sharing session. Through this work, DAWN Canada will further advance Gender Equality by strengthening disability-inclusive, survivor-led responses to gender-based violence and addressing systemic barriers within local service ecosystems.