After a near-fatal altercation with her ex-boyfriend in 1997, Colette Martin spent many years trying to process her experience. In this episode of She Is Your Neighbour, Colette talks about the red flags leading up to the night of the attack, her experience healing from trauma and how she is using her story to inspire others to be better neighbours. 

Join in the conversation! Use the hashtag #SheIsYourNeighbour and connect with us on social media at @SheIsYourNeighbour and @WomensCrisisSWR.

Marlene Ham is the Executive Director of Ontario Association of Interval and Transitional Houses. In this episode, we talk with Marlene about the discourse around femicide, femicide rates in Ontario and how we can prevent more deaths from happening in the future.

Join in the conversation! Use the hashtag #SheIsYourNeighbour and connect with us on social media at @SheIsYourNeighbour and @WomensCrisisSWR.

As a survivor of domestic violence, Sofia saw a need for more peer-support services in Waterloo Region to prevent domestic violence tragedies. In this episode, Sofia explains how her stay in Women’s Crisis Services’ emergency shelter led her to explore the support services available in the region. She shares how her personal experience with abuse inspired her to co-found VoicesWR, a peer-support group for survivors of intimate partner violence, which she currently co-chairs.

Join in the conversation! Use the hashtag #SheIsYourNeighbour and connect with us on social media at @SheIsYourNeighbour and @WomensCrisisSWR.

Sarah Robertson is a child welfare worker and survivor of domestic violence. When her relationship ended and a tragedy occurred, Sarah used her knowledge of child welfare to protect her family. In this episode, we learn how Sarah was able to move forward with her children and build a new life free from abuse.

Join in the conversation! Use the hashtag #SheIsYourNeighbour and connect with us on social media at @SheIsYourNeighbour and @WomensCrisisSWR.

Myrna Dawson is known as one of the most prominent femicide researchers in Canada, who co-founded the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee in 2002. In this episode, we talk about the definition of femicide, collateral victims, and groups that have been disproportionately impacted by abuse.

Join in the conversation! Use the hashtag #SheIsYourNeighbour and connect with us on social media at @SheIsYourNeighbour and @WomensCrisisSWR.

In early 2020, Jennifer Kagan-Viater’s daughter, Keira, was believed to be killed by her father in a murder-suicide as an act of revenge. In this episode, Jennifer shares a mother’s perspective on child loss relating to domestic violence. She talks about love-bombing, coercive control and explains how she is using Keira’s story to create change in the family court system.

Join in the conversation! Use the hashtag #SheIsYourNeighbour and connect with us on social media at @SheIsYourNeighbour and @WomensCrisisSWR.

The loss of Fallon’s mother and father shaped who she was from a very young age. The subsequent death of her brother further impacted her and contributed to the survivor’s guilt she experienced. In this episode, we talk to Fallon about her tragic family experience with femicide, her life as a Métis woman and advocate, and learn how she has used her story to help others heal from violence.

Join in the conversation! Use the hashtag #SheIsYourNeighbour and connect with us on social media at @SheIsYourNeighbour and @WomensCrisisSWR.

Alpha Nkuranga is a Residential Support Worker at Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region. In this episode, Alpha talks about experiencing with domestic violence as a child and the violence she endured while living in a Tanzanian refugee camp during the Rwandan genocide. We talk about the journey to her new life in Canada, her upcoming book, and the different support services that Women’s Crisis Services provides to women.

Join in the conversation! Use the hashtag #SheIsYourNeighbour and connect with us on social media at @SheIsYourNeighbour and @WomensCrisisSWR.

Sarah Tieleman is an entrepreneur and a member of Women’s Crisis Services’ Board of Directors. In this episode, Sarah opens up about her journey as a teen mom experiencing domestic violence. She explains how she stayed at Anselma House in Kitchener and how her journey came full circle 20 years later, when she became a board member of Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region. 

Join in the conversation! Use the hashtag #SheIsYourNeighbour and connect with us on social media at @SheIsYourNeighbour and @WomensCrisisSWR.

Samra Zafar is a best-selling author, motivational speaker and mental health advocate. In 2019, Samra released her book “A Good Wife: Escaping the Life I Never Chose”.  In this episode, Samra shares her experience with domestic violence. She talks about the importance of having cultural support from your community and explains why she chose to write her book, A Good Wife.  

Join in the conversation! Use the hashtag #SheIsYourNeighbour and connect with us on social media at @SheIsYourNeighbour and @WomensCrisisSWR.