About us
The Peel Committee Against Woman Abuse (PCAWA) has been in existence since 1984. The Peel Committee Against Woman Abuse is a group of individuals representing various agencies in the Region of Peel. PCAWA's mandate is to promote comprehensive and effective response to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the Region of Peel.
PCAWA defines GBV as the actual or threatened physical, psychological, sexual, financial, verbal, or spiritual abuse of a women, trans, non-binary or gender-diverse individuals by someone with whom they have had an intimate, familial or romantic relationship, as well as violence occurring outside of any familiar relationship such as violence perpetrated by a stranger or in the context of labour or other trafficking.
GBV is a serious and widespread societal problem. Women, trans, non-binary or gender-diverse individuals from all ages, racial and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, socio-economic classes, religions, ability levels, and professions can experience gender-based violence.
Vision
PCAWA's vision is the end of gender-based violence in the Region of Peel.
Mission
PCAWA's mission is to facilitate and advocate for a coordinated and effective community response to GBV in the Region of Peel.
Framework
The work of PCAWA is guided by an Integrative Feminist Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression (IF-ARAO) framework.
Acting as a tool for analyzing and problem-solving, this framework gives us a way to understand issues and experiences. An IF-ARAO framework is survivor-centered and focuses on the lives and realities of women and marginalized people. It affirms every survivor's right to contribute to, and to determine, social, political and economic changes in their lives. It affirms survivors' right to safe spaces in the groups, agencies, and institutions they encounter in their lives, including their pathways out of violence and their healing journeys.
The framework recognizes that racism and oppression are systemic within the institutions of our settler society, both formally and informally, intentionally and unintentionally.
The framework recognizes that power and privilege exist and that these are based on skin colour, sexuality, gender, orientation, class, age, faith, and ability; it recognizes that privileges are institutionalized and maintain unequal relationships between people and groups.
The framework also recognizes the culpability of men who perpetrate violence, and holds them accountable.
An Integrative Feminist Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression framework recognizes the need to use an intersectional perspective to understand women’s oppression. This involves looking at how gender, race, class, sexuality and other social and cultural identities intersect to create a system of multiple forms of oppression, exclusion and barriers to the full enjoyment of our rights.
PCAWA defines GBV as the actual or threatened physical, psychological, sexual, financial, verbal, or spiritual abuse of a women, trans, non-binary or gender-diverse individuals by someone with whom they have had an intimate, familial or romantic relationship, as well as violence occurring outside of any familiar relationship such as violence perpetrated by a stranger or in the context of labour or other trafficking.
GBV is a serious and widespread societal problem. Women, trans, non-binary or gender-diverse individuals from all ages, racial and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, socio-economic classes, religions, ability levels, and professions can experience gender-based violence.
Vision
PCAWA's vision is the end of gender-based violence in the Region of Peel.
Mission
PCAWA's mission is to facilitate and advocate for a coordinated and effective community response to GBV in the Region of Peel.
Framework
The work of PCAWA is guided by an Integrative Feminist Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression (IF-ARAO) framework.
Acting as a tool for analyzing and problem-solving, this framework gives us a way to understand issues and experiences. An IF-ARAO framework is survivor-centered and focuses on the lives and realities of women and marginalized people. It affirms every survivor's right to contribute to, and to determine, social, political and economic changes in their lives. It affirms survivors' right to safe spaces in the groups, agencies, and institutions they encounter in their lives, including their pathways out of violence and their healing journeys.
The framework recognizes that racism and oppression are systemic within the institutions of our settler society, both formally and informally, intentionally and unintentionally.
The framework recognizes that power and privilege exist and that these are based on skin colour, sexuality, gender, orientation, class, age, faith, and ability; it recognizes that privileges are institutionalized and maintain unequal relationships between people and groups.
The framework also recognizes the culpability of men who perpetrate violence, and holds them accountable.
An Integrative Feminist Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression framework recognizes the need to use an intersectional perspective to understand women’s oppression. This involves looking at how gender, race, class, sexuality and other social and cultural identities intersect to create a system of multiple forms of oppression, exclusion and barriers to the full enjoyment of our rights.