November has been declared Domestic Violence Awareness Month, raising awareness on the reality many women are facing. According to recent statistics, a woman in Canada is murdered by an intimate partner every six days.

Over her years as the executive director of local women's shelter, Genesis House, Ang Braun says the number of domestic violence claims in the Pembina Valley has not decreased.

"So clearly there's some more outreach and prevention work that needs to happen. Having a month that marks domestic violence awareness provides an opportunity to start some different conversations."

Braun says some of these conversations include defining domestic violence. During the past few months people have called the shelter for information and have identified they weren't sure if they had been abused, as no physical violence had taken place.

That's one of the myths of domestic violence that it isn't just physical. Braun explains domestic violence can include emotional or verbal abuse.

Though most of Genesis Houses' services are with women, domestic violence doesn't discriminate against gender says Braun, abuse can happen in any relationship, even to men.

According to Braun 46 residential women and 56 residential children used their services in the last fiscal year, with 317 crisis calls. Over that year there were 1,461 bed nights for women and kids, and 11 bed nights for men. She explains a bed night is counted each night one of their beds is occupied.

Across Canada on a single day, 215 transition houses and shelters were housing and helping a total of 3,613 women and 2,244 children. Of these, 1,807 women and 1,587 children were staying in shelters benefiting from programming, groups, and services. An additional 1,806 women and 657 children received help through outreach programs, without staying in the shelter itself. (Women’s shelters Canada)

Braun says they are excited to be bringing back their Peace Begins at Home Hockey games. Meeting people on their turf to start conversations about domestic violence.

"A number of years ago as a team we decided to meet people on their turf to start conversations about domestic violence. As an issue in every community, we felt it was important to find different ways to engage people to be part of the solution. Their part can be wearing a white ribbon that shows support for survivors of violence," says Braun.

Another initiative taking place is the campaign The Power of PJ’s. Genesis House will be collecting pyjamas for the families that require their service each year. South Central Regional Libraries will be the drop-off locations for this campaign.

Sustainable Development Minister Rochelle Squires, the minister responsible for the status of women, urges people to reach out to each other, and not remain silent to let those who are going through abuse that we are concerned for them, and encourage them to seek help.

The minister announced up to $45,000 to support the following training and awareness projects:

Up to $20,000 for Wahbung Abinoonjiiag to hold a day of training for service providers in the family violence sector working with clients dealing with addictions;

$15,000 to the Canadian Red Cross’s two-day symposium to empower participants to facilitate the Healthy Youth Relationships program at their schools;

$5,000 to Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak to add a social media component to the Voices against Sexual Violence campaign, which targets northern communities with high rates of sexual violence and includes posters and videos to encourage community members to speak up against sexual violence;

$5,000 to Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc. to develop a brochure to raise awareness of third-party reporting, a new option for survivors of sexual violence to report their case anonymously to police through a third-party, community-based victim services agency.

"We all have a responsibility to end violence," said Squires. "We must continue to voice that it is not acceptable or tolerated in our society. It is our responsibility to create an environment where survivors are supported as they rebuild their lives."