NEVR's 14th Annual Conference: Genders and Generations

The Network to Eliminate Violence in Relationships (NEVR) 14th Annual Conference: Genders and Generations

Welcome to the NEVR 14th Annual Conference: Genders and Generations! Join us online for this exciting event Thursdays, 0830-1230 PST on May 23, May 30, June 6 and June 13, 2024 to learn and discuss violence in relationships. While Eventbrite displays only May 23, please note that your early bird registration fee of $50.00 grants access to all four days: May 23, May 30, June 6, and June 13 and the conference is 4 half days long. This conference is designed for academics, service providers and community members.

Our amazing confirmed keynotes:

Charlotte Barlow, Ph.D.,Katerina Hadjimatheou, Ph.D.,Jennifer Koshan, LLM & Amanda McCormick, Ph.D. participate in a panel/discussion. The Global Spread of Clare’s Law: Why Domestic Violence Disclosure Schemes Appeal to the Public, and Whether We Should be Concerned. In 2014, England and Wales introduced the first Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) following the murder of Clare Wood by her estranged boyfriend who had a police-documented history of intimate partner abuse (IPA). Described as the “Right to Ask, Right to Know”, Clare’s Law enables the public to apply to police for a disclosure of their partner’s criminal history (Right to Ask) or for the police to proactively notify them of the risk their partner poses (Right to Know). DVDS have now spread internationally, operating in Scotland, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, several Australian states, and several Canadian provinces. DVDS arguably empower vulnerable populations, primarily women, to make informed decisions that increase their safety, may improve relationships between the public and the police, and may increase access to services. Arguments have also been made that they unethically responsibilize women, pressuring them to request disclosures or end the relationship following a positive disclosure, or risk being blamed for putting themselves or their children at risk. DVDS schemes have therefore been critiqued for the contradictory goals of empowerment versus responsibilization. This keynote panel, featuring researchers who have collected some of the preliminary findings on Clare’s Law, will discuss why programs like Clare’s Law appeal to the public, resulting in their continued global spread, the challenges with transporting progra.ms of this nature from one jurisdiction to another, the varying ways in which DVDS have been implemented and the implications for program success, and whether and why we have reason to be concerned about their pending spread across Canada.

Carl Bonner-Thompson, PhD. will talk about Men’s unwanted sexual experiences: assemblages of care and violence will explore the multiple barriers that prevent men from receiving appropriate and timely care after sexual violence and abuse. The Men’s Unwanted Sexual Experience (MUSE) project was conducted by a team of interdiscplinary scholars from Universities in the UK and Netherlands. The research included semi-structured interviews and arts-based workshops with 40 self-identifying men in northeast and southeast England. This presentation exposes the failures of caring for men who are survivors and highlights possibilities for developing better caring networks. This project explores caring relations beyond healthcare settings and examines the multiple and unlikely spatiotemporal contexts where caring relations play out. The assemblages of care framework enables an understanding of the multiple human and more-than-human elements, spaces, scales and temporalities involved in shaping caring relations following sexual violence. It will be argued that contemporary discourses and institutions do not enable men who are survivors to access care.

Yvon Dandurand, PhD, will present Stigma-informed Support for Victims of Violence. In recent years, victim support interventions have been strengthened by a trauma-informed approach, but they have yet to fully integrate new knowledge on the impact of various stigmas that often accompany the experience of violent victimization. Stigma is known as a major determinant of behaviour, health and well-being among vulnerable and marginalized victims of violence and their families. In brief, stigma is an inhibitor of progress for victim recovery, offender desistance from crime and social reintegration, or recovery from addiction. It has an especially debilitating effect on individuals who experience stigmatization because of sexual exploitation, intimate partner violence, and other forms of victimization. Service providers who assist individuals through difficult life transitions following victimization, criminalization, or a mental health crisis are well aware of the debilitating effects of stigma. These effects often lead victims of violence to develop self-disclosure, self-protection, self-isolation, and risk management strategies that are not particularly healthy and can hinder recovery. There is a need for a stigma-informed approach to victim assistance. The overall goal of a stigma-informed practice is to develop gender-responsive and culturally appropriate support interventions that increase the victim’s self-control, self-efficacy, resiliency, autonomy, and agency while providing them with opportunities to regain control of aspects of their lives affected by victimization and the accompanying stigma.

Alana Prochuck, Alysha Collie, Patricia Dawn & Blue Thunderbird Woman/Heather Spence. Documentary Storytelling as a Strategy for Challenging the Family Policing System. Join us for a screening of the 11-minute documentary Kids Are Only Kids Once, which exposes the harms of child apprehensions in BC and shares parents’ vision for change. The film was created by parents, advocates, 3 Crows Productions, and the gender justice non-profit West Coast LEAF. The session will explore the inspiration for creating the film and insights of filmmakers and interviewees about how viewers can support the movement to end the violence of the family policing system (often called the child welfare system) and the intergenerational trauma it causes.

Lauryn Oates, PhD. Gender Apartheid and Afghan Women and Girls. This presentation will describe the current situation facing women and girls in Afghanistan from a rights perspective, and how the systemic discrimination against women and girls has resulted in a rise of gender-based violence, and impunity for those who perpetrate it. The session will explain the meaning of a term used by Afghan and Iranian women, gender apartheid, why this concept effectively captures the systemic and state-led nature of violence against women and girls in Afghanistan, regardless of where such violence takes place -- whether privately or publicly -- and how international legal recognition of the concept could make possible new mechanisms for pursuing justice and accountability on behalf of those who experience and survive gender-based violence. The role of education, advocacy and awareness in preventing violence against women and girls in the Afghan context will also be explored.

This is an in-person closing keynote You will need to register separately to reserve a spot Jasmine Bhambra. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/genders-and-generations-in-person-closing-keynote-trauma-yoga-tickets-868025416387?aff=oddtdtcreator

Trauma Yoga. As a trauma and resilience certified yoga teacher and grief recovery specialist, Jasmine draws upon her personal experience of loss and grief, particularly the murder of her sister, which propelled her onto this transformative journey.

Jasmine shares how yoga became a powerful tool in her own journey of grief and trauma recovery, providing insights into the impact of trauma-informed techniques. With compassion and expertise, Jasmine guides participants through a blend of gentle movements and meditation, offering a safe space for exploration and healing. Participants are invited to connect with their inner selves and cultivate resilience in the face of trauma. During the segment, Jasmine will demonstrate two different variations of the practice to illustrate the difference between regular instruction and trauma-informed instruction. Attendees will learn practical strategies to integrate trauma-informed practices into their own lives and professional work, emphasizing the importance of language, permission, and empowerment in supporting trauma survivors. Jasmine's segment promises to inspire and empower participants to embrace healing, resilience, and self-discovery in the face of adversity.