MHWSS launches Truenity initiative

By Mo Cranker on November 26, 2018.

NEWS PHOTO MO CRANKER
Medicine Hat Women's Shelter Society marketing coordinator Joshua Swanson and Spencer Buss add their sticky note answer to the question "what would you say to your younger self about what it means to be a man?" Friday night at Station Coffee. The evening was the launch of the MHWSS's Truenity initiative which is encouraging men to become advocates for ending violence against women and family violence.

mcranker@medicinehatnews.com @MHNmocranker

The Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society launched a new program Friday aimed at getting men to become advocates for ending violence against women and family violence.

The initiative is named Truenity and the launch hosted a number of speakers and presentations at Station Coffee.

“It was a really great launch and we had a pretty good turnout,” said MHWSS marketing co-ordinator Josh Swanson. “I think people really responded well to what we were trying to get across.”

The shelter kicked off Family Violence Prevention Month at the beginning of November by tying purple ribbons around downtown and has held a number of events since then to build awareness around the cause.

“This is an initiative we’ve started to engage men and boys,” said Swanson. “It’s important for us to understand the role that men play around the equality and safety of women.

“With the event we wanted to get as many people out as possible from as many demographics as possible to talk and to learn about the topic.”

According to shelter executive director Natasha Carvalho, the Medicine Hat Police Service accepts more than 1,300 calls for service each year for domestic violence. Swanson says the easiest way for men to get involved in being part of the solution is by changing how they talk to and about women.

“It’s important to stand up for gender equality when you hear something that isn’t right,” he said. “An example of this is locker room talk, conversations that can happen between young men in a sports locker room.

“Things like that may not directly lead to violence against women, but it perpetuates the culture that may make these things seem OK.”

Swanson says it is very important for young men to be involved and engaged in this cause.

“Stats from our shelter show that this type of violence is heavily weighted towards women,” he said. “Roughly 80 per cent of the domestic abuse calls that do come in are men against women.

“Educating men and boys and allowing them to speak up can help change this culture.”

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