By Charles Lefebvre

Women’s Shelter Society launches Truenity initiative

Nov 23, 2018 | 1:23 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — The Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society is launching a new initiative aiming at getting men and boys in the community to take a stand against family violence.

The Truenity initiative kicks off Friday night with an informal event at Station Coffee Company downtown at 7 p.m.

“Women’s shelters Canada-wide have been starting to address the issue of the part that men and boys can play in advocating for the equality and safety of women and girls,” said Josh Swanson, marketing director with the Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society.

Swanson says the idea came from discussions more than a year with different men in the community about how they could address family violence with different groups on a regular basis. H

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Truenity is focused on educating men and boys about family violence, giving them the tools to help address it in their lives.

The initiative has the slogan “What We Say Matters,” and Swanson says they want men to think about the words they use, and realize they do have an impact.

“The more that we talk about women and girls from a respectful, equality-based stance, that’s going to start to shape culture in a way that now violence and inequality is not a norm,” he said.

“I think that there’s a long way to go, but even just starting to talk about that, in sports teams and classrooms, and getting kids to understand that there is not a power difference between men and women, and there shouldn’t be these gender stereotypes that develop a normalcy to men being over women.”

Swanson adds simply talking about the issue is the easiest way for men and boys to get involved.

“I think, unfortunately, it’s a stereotype, and often the truth, that men don’t speak up as much as women,” he said. “We tend to keep things close to the chest, which isn’t always a positive, because a lot of times, we might hear something that we don’t think is a very honourable thing to say, but we’re afraid to speak out because of pride, or because men shouldn’t talk about emotions or serious issues.

“It’s as simple as casting those stereotypes and your pride aside, and just talking about it.”

The event will include free coffee and snacks, along with the premiere of an awareness video featuring local men discussing the issue of family violence.

Swanson says the Women’s Shelter will be planning several other Truenity events in the coming months.