The Women’s Centre Grey Bruce is pleased to announce it has been selected by the Ontario government to launch an anti-human trafficking program in Grey Bruce, through a $1.3 million Anti-Human Trafficking Community Support Fund. The program is aimed at creating public awareness of the growing trafficking problem within our community, and to direct support to youth victims. The Women’s Centre will partner with community agencies to provide wrap-around victim support and the program will include an educational component for school-aged children that focuses on the signs of human trafficking. The Women’s Centre will also provide shelter, counselling, and outreach support to human trafficking victims under 16 years old.

The Women’s Centre has also recently partnered with WomanACT, in a pilot program, to introduce the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) model in addressing domestic violence cases. Prevalent in the UK and Europe, MARAC has proven to reduce repeat victimization by increasing safety and connecting survivors with the support they need. This partnership will help create the foundational materials necessary for a nation-wide rollout for agencies to work together in risk assessment, information sharing, and safety planning.

The Women’s Centre looks forward to working with its new and existing partners both in developing our new anti-human trafficking program and in implementing the MARAC model throughout 2021.

The Women’s Centre remains open during the current Provincewide Shutdown. We continue to provide 24-hour service including emergency shelter, counselling, crisis line support, safety planning, and advocacy to women and children in the Grey Bruce community. Women and children who feel unsafe or are experiencing abuse, can reach The Women’s Centre by:

24/7 crisis phone line: 519-371-1600 / 1-800-265-3722
24/7 text support: 226-974-0755
9-1-1 for all emergency situations
thewomenscentre.org or Facebook

source: media release, The Women's Centre Grey Bruce