In Canada, Domestic Violence (DV), a prevalent form of gender-based violence (GBV), accounts for about 30% of all violent crimes reported to the police, with the vast majority of the victims being women. Yet, most workplaces do not have a formal violence prevention strategy, policy, or training for when GBV spills into the workplace.
Oftentimes, employers feel ill-equipped to deal with GBV and feel it is a private matter; however, employee protection Acts such as Manitoba’s Workplace Safety and Health Legislation highlight the responsibility for employers to be informed and to adequately respond to GBV that seeps into the workplace: when violence impacts women in the workplace, it becomes a workplace issue.
Inadequate or non-responses result in increased levels of isolation and shame, increased safety risks, lower work performance, increased time off, and missed opportunities for promotions and advancement for affected employees. More than a third (38%) of workers experiencing domestic violence report that DV impacts their ability to get to work, over half (53%) report abusive acts occurring at or near their workplace, and 8.5% lose their jobs as a result (Canadian Women’s Foundation).
Our certified MAWS trainers across Manitoba help organizations like yours by providing customized, flexible and trauma-informed training to:
- Understand the signs and appropriate responses
- Equip you with the confidence to support your team
- Create a psychologically safe work environment
The Roster of MAWS Certified Trainers lists organizations with certified trainers who can deliver the Transforming Workplace Approaches to Gender-Based Violence (TWA-GBV) training in the community to both nonprofit and for-profit organizations and businesses.
Logistical details of the training (i.e., location, virtual or in-person, costs) will be determined by the Certified Trainer and the Host Organization/Business. All non-profit organizations across Manitoba are eligible for FREE training.
To contact our trainers, please email us at amber@maws.mb.ca
The Community Facilitator Manual provides an outline and templates for delivering training in the community. This manual is a how-to guide for determining the structure of training and is open to modifications based on best practices and the unique needs/training goals of the certified trainers, as well as the host organizations and businesses.
The Toolkit is a resource for certified trainers to use when recruiting and delivering training in the community. The Toolkit includes ideas for experiential learning and simulation exercises, informational briefs on trauma and GBV, culturally responsive approaches, templates for risk assessments, and promotional materials to recruit organizations and businesses to host trainings.
One element embedded in the TWA-GBV training is experiential learning (EL). EL is engaged in various ways, including games and simulation exercises (SE). Card games are an example of an experiential learning simulation. Experiential learning simulations operate by following Kolb’s experiential learning cycle: 1) concrete experience, 2) reflective observation, 3) abstract conceptualization, 4) active experimentation. MAWS developed a card game titled “Leading the Pack on GBV” as a tool for experiential learning simulations to support training in the community in a way that allows those in leadership positions to a) build an understanding of violence in the workplace and b) develop the capacity to address violence in the workplace in trauma-informed and culturally responsive ways.
Get Your Workplace Prepared
Join Manitoba organizations creating safer, stronger workplaces. Get flexible, practical training tailored to your workplace by certified Gender-Based Violence workplace trainers.