Chinese women speak out against abuse

(The Mirror North York ) Chinese-Canadian "Women Ambassadors" will mark International Women's Day Saturday, March 8 by speaking on why they volunteered to educate others on domestic violence. more

Bringing domestic violence awareness to the Chinese community

(The Mirror Scarborough) As new immigrants, Chinese women in Toronto experience unfairness everywhere and their families "are the last place we can go to," Wendy Wang told women at a Montreal Massacre remembrance in Scarborough last week. more

First DVD About Domestic Violence In Chinese Canadian Community

A documentary “Tears at Home”, funded by City of Toronto city Community Safety Investment, which truly recorded victims’ real life experiences of domestic abuse in Canada will be released on May 12, 2007 in Toronto by Women Ambassadors project. It was written, produced and acted by participants in the WA project. This event is part of the Graduation Ceremony of year two Domestic Violence Prevention Ambassadors.

The DVD tells two victims’ stories. Both of them are Chinese Canadian women, Amanda and Margaret. The DVD shooting team truly appreciates their courage, and actually is inspirited by them. The DVD setting is in GTA area. The DVD reveals the shameful and cruel domestic violence, and describes how a single domestic violence case turns to tragedy from simply common family friction. Also, the DVD analyses the reason and how to avoid the Domestic Violence and how to seek help in GTA for those victims through interviewing the Toronto Police officer, Domestic Violence counselors and the Toronto shelter’s manager. The film started in the early March of this year and is done in early of this month.

Lydia Yang, Coordinator of CCNCTO (Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Charpter) says, “30 women and 12 children have been killed last year alone in Ontario as a result of domestic violence. In Chinese Canadian community in Toronto alone, the situation is even worse. So it’s our responsibility to produce a program to educate and evoke people to take this problem seriously. ”

Jack Liu, the director of this DVD, who also a newly immigrant from china and is currently studying the Broadcasting and film program in Toronto says, “Tears at Home is the first DVD that reveals domestic violence among Chinese families in Canada. This is also the first DVD that was shot and produced by Chinese professional immigrants that mainly come from China mainland. This is the first mandarin DVD with English subtitle that produced by Chinese Canadians. In the meantime, this is the first DVD that all jobs of this film are taken by volunteers. It’s really amazing. Especially, we are inspirited by the two victims and both of the two victims hope their Chinese Canadian women fellows face the problem courageously through this DVD.”

Women Ambassadors program aims at changing the traditional Chinese culture that regards domestic violence as a shameful private promoting the view that Domestic Violence is a crime, which without intervention increases in severity and frequency. This project, now nearing the end of it's second year has been working with survivors of domestic abuse and participants who are dedicated to creating a new dialogue in the Chinese Canadian community about this issue.

The Women Ambassador program is a partnership project between the Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter, Chinese Family Services of Ontario, Working Women Community Centre and South Riverdale Community Health Centre. The project aims at changing the traditional Chinese culture that regards domestic violence as a shameful private promoting the view that Domestic Violence is a crime, which without intervention increases in severity and frequency. This project, now
nearing the end of it's second year has been working with survivors of domestic abuse and participants who are dedicated to creating a new dialogue in the Chinese Canadian community about this issue.?

In the first screening day on may 12th, 2007, there also will be a panel discussion with survivor，Police officer，Shelter worker，frontline counselor to discuss the video and the issue of domestic violence in the Chinese Canadian community within a social and political context. We will arrange time for our panel to answer the questions you are interested; individual interview with our Ambassadors and DVD crew. We have also invited our community partners, and government officials to join this special Mother’s Day celebration.

Women Ambassadors project pamphlet

Please click here to download

Women Ambassadors training workshop is recruiting new participates now.

Register now

Women Ambassadors project is organized by the Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter and Working Women Community Centre; and is funded by Status of Women Canada.

This project aims at changing the traditional Chinese culture that regards domestic violence as a shameful private business and promoting awareness of domestic violence in Chinese Canadian Community.

For more information, please contact:

Lydia Yang at (416)596-0833 ext 1, Email: wa@ccnctoronto.ca

Project funded is funded by Status of Women Canada.

• it is a family issue, outsiders are not supposed to intervene
• it is worthwhile for women to tolerate violence in the family as far as they are able to keep the family intact
• wives should accept their husbands’ needs to act out his frustration
• the victims should blame themselves for triggering the violence
• domestic violence only occurs in poor and low education level community

If you want to be a

Women Ambassador

please COME and JOIN US !!!!!

Training is free. Childcare services and TTC tokens will be provided. Light food will be served during the sessions.

1. Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter, 215 Spadina Ave, Suite 124 Toronto, ON M5T 2C7. Phone: 416-596-0833 ext 1 email: wa@ccnctoronto.ca
2. Working Women Community Centre, 5 Fairview Mall Drive, Suite 478, willowdale, ON, M2J 2Z1. Phone: 416-494-7978