Advocates create Canada-wide support list for sexual assault survivors

The Terrace Standard recently published an article, “Advocates create Canada-wide support list for sexual assault survivors”. The focus of the list is on providing support to vulnerable women with intersectional experience.

The article mentions how two Somali-Canadian advocates have created an online resource specifically for racialized survivors of sexual assault, saying a centralized guide is necessary to fill gaps in both the health-care and justice systems that leave marginalized women behind.

Habon Ali of Toronto and Edmonton’s Asmaa Ali said existing resources are either scarce in nature or scattered across the internet, making it difficult for victims to track down the help they need. The women contend the issues persist both in the immediate aftermath of sexual violence and further down the road when victims need medical rather than legal support. Sexual violence resources in Canada are seldom geared towards intersectional communities and often leave Black, Indigenous and other people from racialized communities out of the conversation.

She and Habon Ali sought out resources that included those communities, adding their focus was on providing support to vulnerable women with intersectional experience. The guide is also intended to provide additional help for students and immigrants, groups Habon Ali cited as particularly likely to fall through the cracks of Canada’s current systems. She said language barriers often make it difficult for ethnic minority groups to find and secure the help they need.

The new online resource guide is described as “necessary and lifesaving” for those who may not know how to navigate Canada’s complex systems.

We provide non-judgmental and supportive legal services for those who seek to pursue financial redress for sexual wrongs. If you have been the victim of sexual assault, call us at (604)984-7555 or email us at admin@hansonco.ca, for your free, confidential, no-obligation consultation.