More women speaking out about abuse, report says

Nearly three-quarters of Albertans have known a woman who has been physically or sexually abused in her lifetime, says a new report released Monday by the Canadian Women’s Foundation.

But an increasing number of women are also speaking out about physical and sexual abuse, says one of the foundation’s vice presidents.

According to a study commissioned by the foundation, 67 per cent of Canadians have known a woman who has been physically or sexually abused in her lifetime. In Alberta, that number climbs to 74 per cent.

But Sandra Diaz, vice-president of communications and marketing, said there’s hope in those numbers.

“That there are so many people that know a woman who is experiencing violence means that more women are breaking the silence and they’re telling people,” Diaz said. “It’s not being kept behind closed doors as much as it was 10 years ago, when it was seen as a taboo subject.”

According to a 2011 Statistics Canada report, only about 22 per cent of domestic violence cases are reported to police.

Diaz said increased dialogue about family violence and violence against women is the first step toward taking action.

“We need to have men and women standing shoulder-toshoulder saying ‘We won’t stand for this,’ ” Diaz said.

Lissa Samantaraya-Shivji of the Calgary Emergency Women’s Shelter said creating a safe space for a victim to talk about their abuse is the most important way to support them.

“There are a lot of things that can prohibit them from coming forward and asking for help,” said Samantaraya-Shivji, the manager of strategic development and evaluation.

“We want to encourage people to try to create that safety.”