Dear Premier Clark,
As members of the Abbotsford/Mission Violence Against Women in Relationships (VAWIR) Committee, we wish to applaud you for your comments that appeared in the Vancouver Sun article on Oct. 14, entitled "Premier Clark calls for widespread condemnation of Trump's views of women".
Our committee is represented by a variety of government ministries and social service agencies supporting families affected by violence against women and children in the Abbotsford/Mission area.
We strive to integrate our services in as collaborative a manner as possible to provide safety and support to victims of violence and abuse and to work well together with regard to offender management and enforcement.
Our committee also plays a public awareness role in our community, taking steps to keep intimate partner violence and its effects on women, children, and society in the public discourse.
We thank you for highlighting that as citizens of British Columbia and the world, we must never allow it to be okay to degrade, objectify, or abuse women.
We appreciate that the decision to comment publicly on this matter during the final days of the presidential race may have been a difficult choice, and we commend you for making the choice to "#saysomething".
We pledge to continue to do so likewise in our respective roles because if we allow ourselves to be bystanders, we only contribute to the problem.
With appreciation,
Abbotsford/Mission VAWIR Committee:
Mission RCMPMission Public Health Unit
Mission Police Based Victim Service ProgramAbbotsford Forensic Nursing Team
Abbotsford Police Based Victim Service ProgramDomestic Violence Crown Counsel(s)
Abbotsford Police Department – Domestic Violence UnitElizabeth Fry Society
Ministry of Children and Family Development (DVU) Ministry of Social Development
Abbotsford/Mission Specialized Victim Assistance ProgramsMennonite Central Committee
Donna Maser – Family LawyerCorrectional Service of Canada
Fraser Valley Aboriginal Child and Family Services SocietyAbbotsford Community Corrections
Women's Resource Society of the Fraser ValleyUniversity of the Fraser Valley