ABOUT US
CANADIAN CENTER FOR WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT
WHO WE ARE
The Canadian Center for Women’s Empowerment is an Ottawa-based and the only Canadian non-profit dedicated to addressing Economic Abuse and economic injustice. CCFWE combats systemic barriers faced by Black, Indigenous and People of Color Economic Abuse survivors through education, community based research, economic and financial empowerment, policy influencing and system change. Our work applies an equity-lens to policy, and is informed by evidence and lived experience of victim-survivors. Our work focuses on Economic Abuse prevention and response through meaningful community engagement. We bring violence and trauma -informed practices to inform policy systems, enabling victims, survivors, and their families to achieve economic empowerment.
Discover here the reasons behind our focus on addressing Economic Abuse?
MISSION
CCFWE works collaboratively with organizations and individuals to develop a comprehensive approach that enables marginalized domestic violence survivors to recover from Economic Abuse. It also addresses critical policy gaps that are preventing survivors from recovering and becoming economically secure and independent.
VISION
We envision a world where the policy, legal, social services, and financial systems enable Economic Abuse victim-survivors to easily access and receive the resources they require to liberate themselves from their financial burdens and achieve economic empowerment.
OUR MANDATES
1. Financial Inclusion and Empowerment
We collaborate with frontline and equity deserving service providers to help survivors heal from family violence, including generational trauma, and empower them by equipping them with the tools and support they need to overcome their experiences, build resilience, and a brighter future. Learn more about out Domestic Economic Abuse Financial Literacy program.
2. Economic Security: Transforming Responses to Economic Abuse among Black Women, refugee and immigrants
We acknowledge that economic structures, rooted in historical colonization, have contributed to ongoing systemic inequalities. Our daily efforts are dedicated to illuminating these issues, offering resources, and nurturing a community committed to dismantling economic barriers faced by Black women, immigrants and refugee.
3. Evidence-Driven Research to Inform Economic Justice Policy
We conduct community-based research to collaborate with equity deserving group, and financial institutions to address the research gap on Economic Abuse in Canada. Our research endeavors begin by comprehensively understanding the intricacies of the problem, drawing insights from a diverse range of disciplines including our national coalition members. Moving beyond comprehension, we actively seek out promising practices that show potential in addressing the challenges associated with Economic Abuse. Our analysis goes further to evaluate how these practices can be applied within the framework of social justice and ecological considerations. Through our commitment to research excellence, we aim to uncover critical leverage points that can drive impactful policy change and research gaps in Canada and beyond.
4. Education and Awareness
Every year we organize national and international awareness campaigns with the aim of enhancing the capacity of equity deserving organizations. Our goal is to raise awareness about Economic Abuse among various stakeholders, including private entities, financial institutions, consumer lawyers, academia, and essential service providers. Additionally, our focus extends to supporting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. We are dedicated to developing evidence-based, survivor-centered, and culturally sensitive educational resources to assist service providers in identifying and responding to Economic Abuse and coerced debt.
5. Policy Influencing and System Change
We influence policymakers, private sector and financial institutions to remove structural obstacles, discriminations, racial inequality, oppression that impact the economic empowerment of visible minority survivors and equity deserving group in collaboration thought collective strategy with our National Taskforce. This includes advocating to national comprehensive ecosystem of support services for Economic Abuse survivors, changing current patriarchal, racist and colonial structures and advocating for expanding the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence to ensure economic security. Read our policy submissions here.
6. Knowledge Translation and Integration
We are facilitating collaboration among universities such us University of Windsor, governments, and communities forms an ideal triad for the seamless interaction between research, policy, and practice. Our approach involves working closely with a diverse range of stakeholders, leveraging data and highlighting promising practices to enhance capacity and drive impactful changes. Through these collaborative efforts, we aim to co-create solutions at various levels local, regional, national, and international ensuring a dynamic interplay between research influencing policy and practice, and practice shaping and informing research.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Intersectional Feminist Approach :
We ensure the safety, freedom, and equality of women and their children is at the heart of everything we do and considering the relationships between gender and economic power in all of our work.
Informed By Evidence,
Practice Expertise, And Lived Experience:
We ensure our work is informed by up to date evidence, practice expertise, and lived experience means being flexible and responsive, keeping track of new and emerging knowledge, and adapting to align with this.
Collaboration And Partnerships:
We work well with individuals and grassroots organizations and networks. Ending violence against women requires large-scale, long-term effort and we recognize that we are but one agency that has a role in working to achieve change.
OUR VALUES
SURVIVOR-CENTRED
We advocate for trauma-informed, survivor-centred, and empowerment approaches.
HONOR AND RESPECT
We honour and respect differences in age, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religion, cultures, experiences, abilities, immigration status, and socioeconomic status.
UNDERSTANDING
We recognize the traumatic impact violence has on children, adults, and communities in general. We meet those we serve where they are in terms of their lived experience, their relationship with others, and their self-identity.
TRANSFORMATION
We advocate and educate on issues of violence and oppression, calling for systemic and institutional change.
VOLUNTEERISM
We believe in the value of volunteers and their ability to strengthen, support, and enhance our services.
COLLABORATION AND TEAMWORK
We cooperate with individuals and organizations that share our mission and objectives. We celebrate our accomplishments and support our staff, volunteers, and board members.
GENDER INCLUSION
We aim to be inclusive of diverse people across gender and sexuality spectrums. We focus our efforts on supporting those who face the most barriers and have least access to relevant services.
