Shelter launches multi-lingual campaign

EDMONTON — English, Arabic, Punjabi, Tagalog and Urdu — the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters is using these five languages as it launches its You Are Not Alone campaign, helping more women in Alberta exit domestic violence situations.

The aim is to better connect with newcomers and refugee women who may be reluctant to seek help; campaign messaging in all five languages is running in transit spaces, social media, as well as advertising on radio and television.

“Imagine a woman who can read the language she can understand and she’s going through that situation and she will immediately be able to connect,” said Zainab Khan, project manager with the Canadian Pakistani Support Group operating out of Maskan in Calgary. “Imagine she is listening to the radio and the radio is telling her in that same language that there is help out there.”

Khan believes a woman in distress is more likely to reach out for help if she knows there is someone who understands her language, culture and can connect with her.

Three provinces have come together for the campaign, with the Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services of Saskatchewan and the British Columbia Society of Transition houses collaborating with ACWS. In 2018, B.C. had its own iteration of the campaign, which received the British Columbia Association of Broadcasters Humanitarian Award.

Jan Reimer, executive director of ACWS, said the success of the B.C. program gives her confidence the program can succeed in Alberta, as well.

“Shelters are really united across the country in terms of trying to make things better for women and children and this is another way to try and reach them,” said Reimer. “We also know how important it is to have culturally competent services to meet the needs of newcomers and the refugee population.”

Reimer said during the COVID-19 pandemic there has been concern for women across the country in terms of violence and abuse, and its increased severity. She adds now that the province is opened up, she just wants people to know shelters are here and they’re here to help.

Reimer said the campaign’s five languages were chosen based on Alberta’s demographics, but ACWS is eager to add more languages as it moves forward.