Grant: Catalyst Grant: Moving Upstream - Sex, Gender, and Health Inequities

Violence against women is a leading cause of premature death and health and social inequities among women in Canada and across the globe. Currently, community-level services, operating within the non-profit sector are the most significant resource accessed by women affected by violence and are leaders in advocacy and public education to change damaging social norms. Despite their essential role in preventing and mitigating the effects of violence and connecting women with essential life sustaining services, these organizations face a multitude of challenges associated with federal, provincial and municipal policy, funding, and regulatory processes that limit their potential to achieve these aims. As Canada strives to determine how to identify and implement better ways to prevent violence and increase services to those most in need, research is urgently needed to better understand how these policy and economic structures impact the non-profit service sector in ways that either limit or enhance the capacity for these organizations to do their work. In this study we are investigating the policies and regulations that shape how government policies organize, regulate and fund not-profits organizations to provide services to diverse populations affected by violence. We will examine if and how the relevant policies both positively and negatively impact community organizations' service provision and capacity for advocacy and public education. We will also conduct interviews with community service leaders to learn more about their experiences of navigating these structures. The knowledge gleaned in this research will be used to generate recommendations for policy and programming to more effectively support organizations providing life sustaining services to women affected by violence.