From Battered Women’s Support Services in Vancouver, Canada:
As Mother’s Day approaches, it’s a time for celebration and reflection, a moment to honour the incredible sacrifices and love that mothers around the world offer to their families and our communities.
Yet, amidst the flowers, brunches, and heartfelt cards lies a sobering truth:
Many mothers endure unspeakable hardships, including intimate partner violence by their husbands or partners, rendering the home unsafe for children, as well.
1 in 3 women experienced intimate partner violence between the birth of their first child and their child turning 10 years of age.
The statistics are stark and undeniable.
Every year, 1 in 3 women face emotional, physical, and sexualized violence, a reality that often escalates even during pregnancy, a time when one should expect safety and care.
Shockingly, pregnancy is a risk factor for lethal violence and as many as one in four women experience violence during this vulnerable period, increasing the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and abusive relationships forms the basis for why many pregnant women seek abortion.
But the impact doesn’t stop there.
Violence against women reverberates through generations, affecting not only the mothers but also their children who witness these horrific acts.
5 children in every Canadian school classroom have witnessed their mother’s abuse by a father or father figure, with 80% of children who witness going on to victimize or become victims in adulthood.
At BWSS, we stay on the frontline and confront violence against women head-on, responding to over 25,000 requests for service in 2023, with 65-68% of women who access BWSS being mothers aged 18 years and older.
Violence against women diminishes us all, eroding the fabric of our communities and undermining the very essence of humanity for too long.
Please
take a moment
on this Mother’s Day
with me & our Divine Mother
to send LOVE into our Collective.
It is TIME
for PEACE & JOY on Earth.