NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area, Dehcho Region, North Slave Region, South Slave Region

Tags: social sciences, women, intimate partner violence

Objective(s): To reduce the stigma associated with addressing the issue of violence against women and girls in the NWT; and to study possible improvements in the services offered to women and girls who experience Intimate Partner Violence.

Project Description: The objectives of this project are to: 1) reduce the stigma associated with addressing the issue of violence against women and girls in the NWT; and, 2) study possible improvements in the service offered to women and girls who experience Intimate Partner Violence. Interviews will take place in the shelters in a private area will be used. Posters will be used to let women in the shelters know about the study. An information sheet has been developed in a question and answer format to give more information. Meetings will be held with shelter staff to discuss the project, methodology and expectations. Consent will be required for every women participating. Verbal consent will be used. A process has been developed to obtain verbal consent. A participant can decide to not participate after the interview has started or after it has been completed. A process is in place to destroy the participants’ taped interview should she decide to withdraw. Interviews will be captured on audio recordings. No names will be recorded. Codes will be used for the participants’ interview number and for her community. These steps will be taken to protect the participants’ identity. Only one project staff from the Status of Women Council will listen to the taped interviews to make written notes. All interview tapes and related materials will be sent to the Status of Women's office in Yellowknife. Addressed priority post envelopes will be used. All materials will be stored in a locked filing cabinet in a secure office. All materials will be destroyed at the end of the project. Any person involved in this project will be required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement. A final report and a plain language summary will be written. This will summarize suggestions for system changes that have been made. No personal names, names of communities or information that could identify a woman will be included. The final report will be sent to the shelters and service providers in the communities. For the safety of the women the research team will not be sending the report directly to the women who participated. Suggestions for changes will be shared with individuals and organizations that plan and provide services to the women. In the final year of the project, 2019 - 2020, one suggested change will be tried out by an NWT organization that works with the wellbeing of women and girls. There will be on site training for shelter staff who have agreed to participate in the project. Due to the nature of the research and in respect for the safety and anonymity of the women, there will be no promotion of this work in the communities. All research activities will be kept within the shelters. The final report and plain language summary will be shared with the following organizations: NWT women's shelter staff, the Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Justice for distribution to front line staff such as Community Health Representatives, community nurses, community wellness workers, social workers, mental health and addictions workers, and Victim Services Workers. Copies of the reports may be made available to community members through these service providers. The report will be available on the Status of Women Council of the NWT website and on the Aurora Research Institute website. Results will be tabled in the Legislative Assembly by the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women. Results will also be shared with the funder, Status of Women Canada. The final report and plain language summary will be sent to the National Inquiry in to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from September 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018.