Besides being a beautiful way to usher in spring, the annual She Matters brunch directly supports the vital services provided by the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic to women in Toronto who are escaping domestic violence and/or human trafficking, both of which involve staggering numbers. 

Violence against women is a non-partisan issue, one that cuts across all communities and all levels of income. Approximately every six days, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner. While statistics on human trafficking are difficult to measure, one thing has become clear: it’s an industry on the rise. In order for these women to move beyond their current circumstances and start a new chapter, the support from the Barbra Schlifer Clinic is absolutely essential. The three main services they offer are free counselling, free legal representation, and free interpretive services.

In 2018, the Barbra Schlifer Clinic received requests for assistance from 7,000 women. Here’s what they did:

  • Offered trauma-informed individual and group counselling services to 2,171 women (a 93 per cent increase over 2017) and connected women with practical supports in the community, such as housing, so that women could leave an abusive relationship.
  • Provided legal advice to 2,293 women and served as the only community-based site that offered Independent Legal Advice to women survivors of sexual assault (a 27 per cent increase over 2017).
  • Ensured the availability of interpretation to 2,474 refugee and immigrant women so that their experiences of violence were accurately understood and language was not an impediment to justice (a 110.4 per cent increase over 2017).
  • Provided a welcoming space for 50 young children who were cared for in the company of an early-childhood assistant, while each mother focused on her immediate needs so that she could build her emotional and practical resources to create a new life for herself and her children.

Please join us on Sunday, March 24th at 2nd Floor Events for the second annual brunch in support of the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic. Last year’s event brought together a wonderful mix of Toronto professionals that truly wanted to make a difference; it was a Sunday afternoon full of sunshine and positive vibes. Let’s make a difference together, because SHE MATTERS.

Get tickets here, or click here to donate to the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic.