Conference May 19-20, 2015

 

 

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  • The objectives of the conference organized by the Athena Shield in Montreal, Quebec, and held on May 19 and 20, 2015, were to break the taboos surrounding honour-based violence, demystify issues that stigmatize certain communities, and initiate a dialogue between ethnic communities and individuals from various fields of intervention. This dialogue and knowledge sharing aimed to contribute to the overall and collective prevention of honour-based violence.

    The conference was structured around the following 6 themes :

    AXIS 1: ACTION RESEARCH

    This initial “starting” approach aims to contextualize the issue based on the opinion of the Council on the Status of Women, ”  Honor Crimes: From Outrage to Action,  ” and to provide insights from the Montreal (CSAI) and Quebec (TCRI) perspectives. Video

    • Julie Miville-Dechêne, President; Council on the Status of Women : Honour Crimes: From Outrage to Action – Presentation 

    • Madeline Lamboley, CFC Project Manager; Social Centre for Immigrant Assistance (CSAI)
      Exploring Needs and Promising Practices Related to VBH – A Montreal Perspective
      Presentation
    • Yasmina Chouakri, Coordinator, Women’s Program; Consultation Table of Organizations Serving Refugees and Immigrants (TCRI) 
      Honor-Based Violence (HBV): Needs Assessment in the Montreal Region and Other Targeted Regions
      – Presentation

    AXIS 2: YOUTH INTERVENTION

    The joint presentation by the French- and English-speaking youth centers will reflect on the profound discussions initiated since the 2009 tragedy that claimed the lives of four women from the same family. The speakers will also present the changes made to detection, intervention, and the intercultural approach being adopted. Video

    • Suzanne Dessureault, Assistant Director of the DPJ, CJM-IU and Malak Kamel, Planning and Research Officer, CJ Batshaw:
      The Development of Practices Regarding Violence Against Women in Youth Centres in Montreal –
      Presentation

    AXIS 3: POLICE INTERVENTION

    The presentations from these two police services will provide an account of the changes initiated and projects developed here and elsewhere in connection with the issue and with certain ethnocultural communities.

    • Detective Lieutenant Louise Barré and Detective Lieutenant Ann Hackett; Montreal Police Service (SPVM) 
      Police intervention in the face of honour-based violence (HBV)
    • Heather Shepard, Cultural Relations Officer; Regina Police Service Cultural and Community Diversity Unit
      Prevention, Not Prediction:The Regina Police Service’s Response to Honor-Based Violence
      Presentation

    AXIS 4: COMMUNITY INTERVENTION

    The presentations aim to report on three projects specifically focused on awareness and prevention work within several ethnocultural communities across the country. Targeting youth and women from various cultural and religious communities, the three organizations each worked in their own way to create dialogue within diverse communities to promote the prevention of honour-based violence. Video

    • Maud Pontel, Coordinator; Athena Shield Family Services
      Contributing to the prevention of honour-based violence against women and girls: Community outreach strategy to train, inform, screen, and refer
      Presentation
    • Yasmin Hussain, Project Co-ordinator – Muslim resource center for social support and integration, London, Ontario
      Reclaiming Honor
    • Rajvir Gill, Indo-Canadian Women Association, Edmonton, Alberta
      Working Together: Engaging Communities to End Violence Against Women and Girls in the name of honor. Presentation

    AXIS 5: FORCED MARRIAGE

    This research area aims to understand the issue of forced marriage experienced by immigrant women residing in Quebec. It seeks to highlight the diversity of situations and meanings encompassed by the concept of forced marriage, then to identify the specific consequences for these women, and finally, to analyze the political, legislative, and social responses to forced marriage in Canada and Quebec in order to prevent, detect, and protect its victims in an intercultural context. Video

    • Madeline Lamboley, School of Criminology, University of Montreal:
      Forced Marriage of Women in Quebec
      – Presentation

    AXIS 6: SCHOOL INTERVENTION

    This educational setting illustrates how the issue is addressed day after day by teaching staff within a multiethnic student population.   Video

    • Habib El-Hage, Social Worker, Rosemont College:
      Honor-Based Violence and Intervention with College Youth –
      Presentation

    AXIS 7: COORDINATED INTERVENTION

    This panel discussion presents a collaborative intervention based on a case study involving multiple practice settings. This discussion allows for consideration of the key elements of a multisectoral intervention as well as the limitations of each of the settings involved. The panel also provides an opportunity to discuss the challenges encountered during this type of intervention.   Video

    • Siran Nahabedian, Social Worker; The House of Athena
    • Nancy Houle, CJM-IU
    • Habib El-Hage, Social Worker; Rosemont College
    • Sophie Tremblay, VCI SPVM Consulting Officer
    • Commander Carolyn Cournoyer, Corporate Representative for the SPVM VCI File