A few years ago, in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I saw a meme making its way around social media that depicted a boat in a storm. It went something like, “While we’re all in the same storm, we’re not all in the same boat.” The message was that while everyone was being affected by the pandemic, some of us weathered the storm from multi-million-dollar super yachts while others clung to the sides of their inflatable dinghies for dear life. A single mother of colour who was laid off from her job in the service industry during lockdown was certainly not ‘in the same boat’ as a wealthy CEO spending the time on his private golf course. The social inequalities in our society are only starker in dangerous times.
A discussion of gender-based violence must include a recognition that women and girls living in socio-economic disadvantage are even more at risk than those of people of means. Please know, violence against women of any background is abhorrent and unacceptable, it’s just important for us to also recognize that whether a person survives her abuser is often dependent on the resources she has available to her.
So, stories shared in this blog through the 16 Days will necessarily include stories from women of colour and all those facing significant social barriers to getting the help they need. I hope you can take the time to check out this powerful news story that highlights these inequities and the stories of survivors:
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