Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) and The Violence Prevention Coordinating Council of Durham (VPCC) have partnered for the third year to bring community leaders together in the fight to end Violence Against Women.
The conference, “In Our Backyard: The Reality of Sexual Violence in Durham Region,” will be held on November 17, 2016 in Oshawa. It will be a meeting of community partners who regularly interact with victims of sexual violence, including police, crown attorneys, community agencies, health professionals and educators.
Participants will learn from leading experts, specialists, frontline workers and Timea Nagy, a survivor of sex-trafficking and author of “Memoirs of a Sex Slave Survivor”. The conference will cover emerging trends in human trafficking, sexual assault on our campuses and in our communities, as well as sexual violence for our senior population and best practices to improve supports and results for survivors.
Minister Tracy MacCharles, Minister responsible for Women’s Issues, will attend the Conference and provide opening remarks. Minister MacCharles received a mandate from Premier Wynne in 2014, to continue Ontario’s work to end violence against women. She has been instrumental in the release of “It’s Never Okay: An Action Plan to Stop Sexual Violence & Harassment, released in March 2015 and the Ontario Strategy to End Human Trafficking, released in June. She also works with the permanent violence against women roundtable, which provides advice to government on issues of gendered violence.
“The impact of sexual violence, harassment and exploitation on survivors and their families can be devastating and last generations,” says Tracy MacCharles, Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues. “Change is possible and we must work together to ensure everyone can live in safety.”
“This conference is of particular importance for our community.” says Sandra McCormack, Executive Director of The Denise House, an Emergency Shelter for Women and Children. “Sexual Violence in its many forms is a serious problem in our region. Minister MacCharles’ request for community leaders to help bring about change, is a timely one. Now more than ever, we need to look at ways to stop sexual violence before it starts. We need to come together to consider what’s taking place in Durham – in our own backyard, and the action required to end it.”
Date: November 17, 2016
Location: The Jubilee Pavilion & Conference Centre, 55 Lakeview Park Ave, Oshawa
Special Guest: Minister Tracy MacCharles, Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues
Time: Conference takes place from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30p.m. with Minister MacCharles speaking at 8:40 a.m.
For more information contact info@vpccdurham.org or call 905-728-4968