The DAWN Rooting Resilience Project focuses on the challenges faced by women and gender divers people who are living within the intersection of disabilities and gender-based violence.

We are working to address the gaps and barriers around accessing already existing Programs and services. This groundbreaking endeavour aims to dismantle barriers and foster empowerment through trauma-informed, culturally appropriate peer support networks for women with disabilities.

Using a three-stage “learning – re-framing – relearning” framework, which involves meticulous environmental scanning, consultation with subject matter experts and survivors, and hands-on training, our commitment to the Rooting Resilience project upholds the principles of Disability Justice. As a survivor-led, survivor-centred organization, we at WomenththecentrE envision a future where peer support becomes a cornerstone of resilience and solidarity.

Through blueprinting sustainability measures, every step of this journey is driven by a shared commitment to amplifying voices, nurturing healing, and catalyzing change.

Portfolio: Disabilities

Identifying the nuanced gendered violence experienced by those with both visible and invisible disabilities.

Funders

WomenatthecentrE Team

Mandira Arnab Aich (She/Her), Program Manager

Krystal Snider (She/Her), Project Manager

Somayya Moollabhai (She/Her), C6 Counsellor

Rifaa Carter (She/Her), C6 Counsellor

Chinenye Chikelu (She/Her), Peer Navigator

Sacha Murdock (She/Her), Placement Student

• Peer support has been proven as an effective response for women survivors of gender base violence. It is also a well-established form of community support for people with disabilities to reduce isolation, develop leadership skills and support individuals in exercising their rights and responsibilities.

  Based on the understanding that such networks cannot exist without intentional dedicated infrastructure at the community level, DAWN Canada will seek to establish peer support models within existing organizations through our partnership within disability, women’s and indigenous organizations through our networks in those sectors.

  • Objective 1: Identify key barriers to peer support for women with disabilities.
  • Objective 2: Documenting approaches and practices that support the development of peer
    support programming for women with disabilities.
  • Objective 3: Develop trauma – informed, culturally appropriate peer support for women and by women with disabilities who have experienced some form of gender- based violence.
  • Objective 4: Disseminating a peer -support practice highlighting supportive practices and
    approaches to peer support programming with women with disabilities experiencing gender-based violence.

DAWN Canada

Indigenous Disability Canada

Independent Living Center Kingston