The Province of Prince Edward Island today officially proclaimed the week of February 7 to 14, 2005, as Family Violence Prevention Week on Prince Edward Island.
“Family Violence Prevention Week is an important time for Islanders,” said Premier Pat Binns. “It’s a time when everyone in society can and should stop to reflect on the challenges presented by family violence. It’s a time when we as Islanders should recommit ourselves to the reduction and elimination of family violence on Prince Edward Island.”
One of the themes for Family Violence Prevention Week 2005 is “Violence prevention–a supportive workplace matters.” Special emphasis is being placed on how family violence can spill over and affect the workplace environment. As part of the ongoing focus on reducing family violence, the Premier’s Action Committee on Family Violence Prevention, along with other community partners, have developed a package of materials with important information about how employers can play a stronger role in preventing serious harm from family violence. This package is available electronically for free download on the government Web site at http://www.gov.pe.ca/tpw/iws-info/index.php3.
Among the activities taking place on Prince Edward Island during Family Violence Prevention week are a luncheon on February 9 in Summerside, jointly sponsored by East Prince Family Violence Prevention Inc. and the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce. The City of Charlottetown will be developing safety audits for municipal buildings and parks, circulating amongst City employees a package of information about family violence prevention programs, as well as other measures designed to increase awareness of family violence prevention.
These measures will build upon continuing efforts by the Premier’s Action Committee on Family Violence Prevention to improve training, knowledge and communication among key workers in the family violence prevention field, including social workers, out reach workers and law enforcement.
“I’m very pleased to see that during this year’s Family Violence Prevention Week both the private sector and Island communities are getting involved,” said Transportation and Public Works Minister Gail Shea, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women. “Increasingly, we are recognizing the many physical, social and economic costs that family violence causes. I encourage all sectors of Island life to pause this week and reflect about ways in which they can make a contribution, however small, to the prevention of family violence in our communities.”