Backgrounders
This collection of Learning Network resources is designed to synthesize and disseminate knowledge on topics related to Gender-Based Violence (GBV). These resources provide foundational GBV knowledge including commonly used language, important gaps and emerging issues, recent research, and important educational tools and resources.
Our Backgrounders provide an extended exploration of specific terms, laws, and policies.
Understanding Afro-Indigenous Experiences of Gendered Violence and Healing Pathways (2024)
This Backgrounder provides an overview of the historic and contemporary contexts that contribute to gender-based violence in Afro-Indigenous communities and share insights from the Proclaiming Our Roots project.
Click here to access the BackgrounderUnderstanding and Addressing Elder Abuse in Gender and Sexual Minority Communities (2024)
This Backgrounder sheds light on this underreported social issue, by reviewing recent research and forefronting the lived experiences of survivors. Drawing upon stories shared by survivors, it recommends changes and additions to existing practices for organizations and individuals working with elders to better support GSM elders and end elder abuse.
Engaging Youth to Promote Healthy Masculinities and End Gender-Based Violence (2024)
This Backgrounder explores patriarchal and healthy masculinities, the impacts of patriarchal masculinities on GBV, and the role of youth in promoting healthy masculinities. It also spotlights White Ribbon’s intensive and gender-transformative curriculum on healthy masculinities and discusses its impacts on youth and the broader community. Lastly, it offers a call to action for boys and male-identifying youth to join efforts to prevent GBV.
This Backgrounder was co-created with the Learning Network and White Ribbon.
Sexual Violence Against Black Women and Girls in a #MeToo Era (2024)
Guest Authored by: Kharoll-Ann Souffrant
This Backgrounder provides an overview of the reality of sexual violence against African Canadian and/or Black women and girls, identifies barriers to sexual violence disclosure and reporting, and shares avenues for intervention and reflection to better support survivors.
Work with Media to Get the Story Right on Gender-Based Violence (2023)
This Backgrounder offers tips and strategies for gender-based violence (GBV) advocates to use when navigating media interviews and requests for information. Meaningful engagement between GBV advocates and media professionals improves GBV media coverage and helps everyone better understand the issues and solutions.
End the Misuse of Non-Disclosure Agreements! Informed Choices for Survivors of Gender-Based Violence (2023)
This Backgrounder offers information about NDAs in the context of gender-based violence to inform choice and promote advocacy to end the misuse of NDAs. It is directly informed by the experiences of those who signed an NDA and features their quotes and stories shared with Can’t Buy My Silence.
Considerations for Meaningful Collaboration: Highlights from A Conversation with Indigenous Elders (2023)
This backgrounder explores how to have meaningful collaborations with indigenous elders and is a summary of the conversation with Elder Norma, Elder Naulaq, and Elder Gloria during our Special Event on March 28, 2023.
Sexual Violence Prevention: The Critical Role of Sport (2023)
This Backgrounder explores how rape culture in sport contributes to the presence of sexual violence more broadly in society and offers ways to build consent culture in sport to promote healthy and safe environments for all. It seeks to support the existing work taking place within sport organizations and anti-sexual violence agencies to end sexual violence, in and outside sport.
Domestic Homicide, Gender-Related Homicide, and Femicide: Making Sense of the Terms (2023)
This Backgrounder explores the terms domestic homicide, gender-related homicide, and femicide to strengthen understanding and promote prevention of these killings.
Expanding on Lessons from a Rural Inquest: Addressing Questions and Providing Support for Action (2023)
In this resource, panelists from the Learning Network Special Event: Lessons from a Rural Inquest share responses to additional questions from participants to provide further clarity about the Inquest including recommendations, advocacy, and implications for the gender-based violence sector.
Reproductive Coercion Against Intimate Partners: A Violation of Rights (2022)
Reproductive coercion in intimate relationships is a form of coercive control. It involves removing an individual’s autonomy to make decisions about their health, body, and sexual activity. Reproductive coercion denies an individual of human rights. This Backgrounder shares 3 forms of reproductive coercion and associated tactics.
Gaslighting in Intimate Relationships: A Form of Coercive Control That You Need to Know More About (2022)
This resource describes gaslighting and what it can look like in the context of intimate partner violence, examines potential impacts on survivors, and offers strategies for survivors experiencing gaslighting.
Building the Table: Discussing Tensions of 2SLGBTQIA+ Structural Inclusion Within the GBV Sector (2022)
In this guest editorial, the authors discuss historical and contemporary tensions, explore how a gender binary or cisgender heteronormative victim-perpetrator archetype frame current practices and GBV prevention, and challenge us to think about “building a new table."
“Stay with them”: Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence Share Insights on How Friends and Family Can Help (2021)
This resource amplifies the voices of survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) by sharing their advice to family and friends of those who are experiencing IPV.
“There’s a way out”: Insights from Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (2021)
This resource amplifies the voices of survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) by sharing their advice to those who are experiencing IPV.
Examining the Intersections of Anti-Asian Racism and Gender-Based Violence in Canada (2021)
This Backgrounder seeks to contribute to the broader understanding of anti-Asian racism and gender-based violence in Canada. It examines the unique experiences of violence and harassment faced by Asian women, the historical background of anti-Asian racism in Canada, contemporary manifestations of anti-Asian racism and gender-based violence, and harmful impacts of criminal and immigration law which disproportionately affect Asian women in the service and sex industries. The Backgrounder also offers considerations for standing in solidarity with Asian women; supporting them in their resistance against violence, harassment, racism, and sexism; and joining continued efforts to end anti-Asian racism and gender-based violence.
“More Exposed & Less Protected” in Canada: Racial Inequality as Systemic Violence During COVID-19 (2020)
View Backgrounder
COVID-19 & Gender-Based Violence in Canada: Key Issues and Recommendations (2020)
This document examines how COVID-19 may create pathways and barriers leading to gender-based violence and violence against women and children. It highlights key recommendations for responding to these issues, with a specific focus on the Canadian context.
Keeping Children Safe During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020)
This Backgrounder shares important considerations and strategies for keeping children who may be at an increased risk of experiencing abuse or maltreatment safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keep Children Safe from Online Sexual Exploitation & Abuse During the Pandemic (2020)
This Backgrounder examines potential increased risks for online sexual exploitation and abuse of children during the COVID-19 pandemic and provides strategies for parents to keep children safe.
7 Facts Everyone Needs To Know About Sibling Violence (2017)
A one-page research snapshot on sibling violence that captures essential facts on this common form of family violence.
Eight Strategies for Doing the Work: Surfacing the Social Context of Sexual Violence in Therapeutic Settings (2014)
This tool contains eight strategies that counsellors/therapists can use to integrate a systemic understanding of sexual violence in their work with women. These strategies and examples were developed by Nicole Pietsch, the Coordinator for the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres. For a full discussion see Pietsch, Nicole (April 2014). Doing the Work: Surfacing the Social Context of Sexual Violence in Therapeutic Settings. Learning Network Brief 19.
Research, Monitoring, and Evaluating VAW Social Marketing Campaigns Summary Chart (2014)
This Learning Network tool provides a summary guide for researching, monitoring, and evaluating VAW social marketing campaigns. The guide helps to answer five key questions: What will be researched, monitored, and evaluated? Why is this measurement important? How will the measurements be conducted? When during the campaign will the measurements be conducted? How much will the measurements cost? To read a more detailed outline of the steps involved in researching, monitoring, and evaluating a VAW social marketing campaign, see Learning Network Brief 17.
Components of a Modified Logic Model for Reporting on Social Marketing Efforts Template (2014)
This template logic model organizes the evaluation process of a social marketing campaign. The template helps to identify important variables that need to be measured in order to determine the overall effectiveness of the campaign efforts.
Core Competencies for Domestic Violence Training (2011)
A series of core competencies for domestic violence training were developed through the Knowledge Exchange: Workshop on Domestic Violence Training. Workshop participants discussed their VAW training projects and offer lessons learned regarding program delivery and evaluation in a series of video interviews.
All our resources are open-access and can be shared (e.g., linked, downloaded and sent) or cited with credit. If you would like to adapt and/or edit, translate, or embed/upload our content on your website/training materials (e.g., Webinar video), please email us at gbvln@uwo.ca so that we can work together to do so.
