Mission

WomanACT is a council of organizations dedicated to preventing violence against women and children and promoting a Toronto-wide integrated, coordinated response through leadership, education and community mobilization.

Vision

WomanACT aspires to a future where all women and children live free of violence.

Values

WomanACT holds the following values

Gender Equity Promote equal opportunity for women and children by addressing social, economic and political power inequalities.

Inclusivity Support participation of all women in decision-making

Dignity Respect the fundamental worth and dignity of all women

Efficacy Produce intended results

Knowledge Sharing Supporting catalytic and innovative learning initiatives

Mandate

WomanACT’s mandate is to develop a coordinated community response to woman abuse in order to promote systemic change and be more effective in promoting women’s safety and holding abusers accountable.

The organization was founded upon the need to develop clear policy and procedures with respect to screening, identifying and intervening in woman abuse cases. This is essential because without policy development, each practitioner responds based on her/his own personal bias and discretion. Only through policy development that guides practice, can professional staff can be held accountable for their intervention. See the Best Practice Guidelines.

Over the years, as we have matured, the organization has moved into doing research, completed best practice guidelines, and created a number of powerful community education tools. Through our ongoing work we are continually exploring new issues and continuing to build community capacity by developing resources and tools for front line practitioners.

Objectives

The council works to:

Ensure that all policy development and systemic changes reflect the experiences of women survivors of abuse.
Increase the understanding and awareness of the community and professionals working in the area with regard to institutional roles and responsibilities.
Initiate and implement the development of inter-sectoral partnerships and protocols to create a better-integrated system to deal with issues of woman abuse.
Develop best practice guidelines for practitioners for responding to woman abuse in an accountable and consistent manner.
Develop innovative projects and models for a more effective community response to woman abuse.
Cooperate with other organizations that share the objectives of the Council.

Key Accomplishments

Since its incorporation in 1999, The Woman Abuse Council of Toronto has worked collaboratively with other sectors to develop:

Protocols for Police, Crown Attorneys and Probation.
Best Practice Guidelines/Protocols and Resource Manual for health, social service practitioners and educational institutions.
Accountability standards and guidelines for intervention programs for abusive men.
Specialized domestic violence courts
High Risk Consult Team to help practitioners working with women in high risk, potentially lethal situations.
Women’s Court Watch Project to monitor domestic violence trials (see 2006 report)

Staff Members

Harmy Mendoza, Executive Director

Maria Uruena, Receptionist

Shannon Charles, PAR Supervisor

Lisa Wallace, Early Intervention Intake Coordinator

Nidia Perez, Interim Centralized PAR Probation Intake Coordinator

Alecia Walters, PAR Administrator

Grace M.Ellington, Community Support Worker

Bonnie Stoutley, Community Intake Worker

Paula Wells, Social Media and Conference Coordinator