If you are in danger call 911. If you or someone you know is being abused, call the confidential 24/7 provincial toll-free crisis & support line at: 1-877-977-0007
Youth are getting involved with the new Your Voice, Your Vision media campaign at the Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters (MAWS).
Throughout the year, 15-24-year-olds in Winnipeg and communities across the province will take part in workshops and lessons focused on gender-based and dating violence. Through these workshops, these youth will develop their skills to create a multimedia campaign that challenges violence, raises awareness, and connects with other young people across the province.
Tsungai Muvingi Van Landeghem, provincial coordinator with MAWS, says prevention and empowerment are key themes of this initiative. “We’re very excited for this campaign because its main focus is to engage with youth and prevent intimate partner violence, as well as to equip youth with supports for anyone who’s experiencing intimate partner violence or if they are looking for support, someone they know, whether it’s a friend or a family member.”
Given the prevalence of dating violence among young people, youth are vital to the success of the campaign. “If you look at Statistics Canada, it reports that young people between the ages of 15 and 24 make up 43 per cent of all people who are experiencing dating violence. So the prevalence and risk among youth is fairly high.”
MAWS is also responding to the reality that many young people are exposed to violence in their homes or communities. The campaign aims to break that cycle early by helping youth understand what healthy relationships look like.
Van Landeghem says that violence doesn’t just mean physical harm. “When most people think of violence, they think of the physical act of violence. But there are also other forms of violence, whether it’s emotional, financial, or tech violence, actually, it’s a really big one.” She adds that many youth are experiencing online harassment, coercion, tracking, and cyberstalking through their phones and social media platforms.
Through a mix of virtual and in-person workshops, the content created through Your Voice, Your Vision will be shared with schools, youth centres, and other parts of Manitoban communities. “I think our biggest hope is that people understand that violence can happen to anybody. So being able to understand what signs to look for, how to support somebody will go a long way, both in protecting yourself as well as in helping to support others around you.”
The campaign will include six to eight workshops delivered in Winnipeg and in rural and remote communities, ensuring access for youth who are often left out of similar opportunities. By giving youth the tools, knowledge, and platform to speak out, Your Voice, Your Vision aims to shape safer communities by starting with the voices of those most affected.
– Ryan Funk, U Multicultural
