SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
More work needs to be done to end violence against women in the city.

Yellowknife Victim Services co-ordinator Hawa Dumbuya, right, discusses an upcoming awareness event with front-line worker Marie Speakman.

This is the message area organizations are hoping to get across during this year's Victims of Crime Awareness Week.

With limited staff and resources, the Victim Services department of the Native Women's Association of NWT is struggling to raise awareness about the options available for women, men and families in the city - co-ordinator Hawa Dumbuya hopes some special events planned next week will help start the conversation.

"It's really about trying to eliminate the stigma that's often associated with becoming a victim because . people might not take it seriously or they might end up blaming the victim," she said. "Our ongoing work is really to try and eliminate the stigma so people are able to come forward and seek the help they need."

Although Dumbuya's office sign says her hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., a shortage of volunteers means she is often the first responder on after-hours calls - travelling to the hospital or police station to assist victims. With herself and fellow-responder Marie Speakman the only two full-time staff serving an area of more than 20,000 residents, it can be difficult to get help everywhere it is needed.

"We get a lot of cases where you need to respond right away and . it gets really overwhelming sometimes," she explained. "You don't really know what to expect until you show up . sometimes it's someone getting assaulted on the street and we meet them somewhere . it's pretty intense."

In the future, Dumbuya would like to see more preventative measures taken so situations do not reach the severity they do now - specifically resources that focus on youth and families.

A new pilot project spearheaded by the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre is providing free individual and group counselling for men who have used violence in their relationships. Co-ordinator Laura Boileau said this approach helps take the blame and guilt off the shoulders of women, by focusing the treatment on men.

"We don't have enough services for women by far, but we don't have any services that hold people accountable for their behaviour and help them change," she said. "If the women are the ones being victimized and we're only providing services for them, then we're saying they're the ones who are responsible for stopping it."

Some of the program's clients are referred by corrections services, but the majority are men who voluntarily seek help for a severity of things ranging from yelling and name-calling, to physical violence.

If the project is successful, Boileau said she hopes it will become a permanent fixture in the city.

"People in the territory want men to be held responsible for their behaviour, they want them to get help," she said. "Jail alone just doesn't do it. Jails are very important, but men need to be held accountable for their behaviour and learn ways of changing."

Despite the ongoing challenges, Dumbuya said the rewarding aspects of her work far outweigh the costs, especially in a place like the North where help is so direly needed.

"It's really important to have someone that you can come to and get all that information," she said. "Someone that is there to support you and show an understanding because often if people are victimized, they don't really have the help that they need."

Victim Services will have an information booth set up from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. April 21 at Centre Square Mall, as well as a presentation in conjunction with community partners on April 22 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Salvation Army.

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