Regional town hall on gender-based violence set for Thursday

This Thursday evening the community is invited to attend a virtual Waterloo Region town hall about the epidemic of gender-based violence.

This will be the fifth community town hall this year hosted by Regional Councillor Rob Deutschmann.

November is marked in Ontario as Woman Abuse Prevention Month, which is why the topic for tomorrow night is gender-based violence and the impacts it has.

The event will host a range of guest speakers – including Jennifer Hutton, the CEO of Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region.

“We continue to see a high demand for domestic violence services, shelter beds are full or close to full. We’re also seeing the level and intensity of violence increase,” said Hutton.

“I was asked to be speak at the event because of the work I do with Women’s Crisis Services. I was also one of the members of the family violence projects that delegated to council to ask them to make the declaration that intimate partner violence is an epidemic,” adds Hutton.

Deutschmann was another one of the delegates that spoke to council to make intimate partner violence an epidemic in Waterloo Region last September.

“Gender based violence is a huge and massive problem in every community and its something that impacts a large number of people in our community,” said Deutschmann.

“You’ve got social agencies that have to find some way to find shelter and services to protect these people, its a huge cost all around. It is a major issue, were trying to highlight in the community.”

Deutschmann added that people in the community can donate to services and local agencies to help with the increase in need.

The event will be livestreamed through ZOOM starting at 6:30 p.m. and running until 8:30 p.m. on Thursday.

The community can register for the event through their website.

The community town hall will be replayed on local Rogers TV, channel 20.