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By Chantal Wagner

support continues

Six-month snapshot of shelter experiences during COVID-19

Dec 10, 2020 | 9:39 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Despite the barriers COVID-19 presented, domestic violence shelters across the province remained open and continued to support communities.

Data collected by the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS) says from April 1 to September 30, 2,725 women, children, and seniors were admitted to emergency shelters across the province.

300 women and children were admitted to second-stage shelters and 1,792 women, children, and seniors accessed outreach services from shelters.

Jan Reimer, Executive director of ACWS says the snapshot also indicates that the severity of violence is increasing.

And they are bracing for what’s to come in the future as restrictions lift.

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Reimer says there’s no pill or vaccine on its way for violence against women.

“The WHO and the UN have often declared violence against women and girls as a pandemic. All the focus now is on COVID, but we also know that violence against women and girls is still occurring and it’s there in the shadows of the COVID pandemic and it’s important to bring that out in the open to talk about it and let women know that help is available even when public messaging is stay home and stay safe.”

According to the data, shelters received 21,744 calls and 7,241 of those were for crisis support from April to September.

“The public message around COVID-19 of ‘Stay home, stay safe’ has not been true for those living with violence and abuse,” said Natasha Carvalho, executive director with the Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society. “For our clients, home is not a safe place. These have been difficult and dangerous days and months for them.”

Recent data collected by Women’s Shelters Canada and the ACWS shows that when the strictest restrictions were in place earlier this year, the number of crisis calls and intakes into emergency shelters both nationally and provincially dropped. These numbers climbed upwards as restrictions eased.

“Many people simply weren’t able to call for help or safely leave due to being isolated with an abuser,” said Carvalho. “Alarmingly, we and many other shelters found that the severity of abuse being reported by those coming into shelter also increased.”