Womens Crisis Services of Waterloo Region Organization - Essay Example

Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region Organization is a nonprofit organization in Canada, and it was formed in 1978. It consists of two houses, Haven and Anselma each having thirty and 45 beds respectively. However, these two houses were functioning independently up until 2001 when they merged to form the present Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region (WCSWR). This also resulted in the integration of the board of directors and the creation of the post of executive director who has the responsibility of managing the two facilities. The adoption of a dragonfly as its logo reflects the organizations’ literal shift from violence against women and children. The tag line “Moving beyond violence” is an enhancement of the message that achievement of equality is determined by human courage and initiative to propagate human values and leave violence against women in the past. Among its services is the residential program that serves women above the age of 16 either with or without children. These women include those who are being abused intimately or experiencing problems in a domestic relationship. The organization also has the outreach and education services that work closely with the process of transitioning women to independence, and also those seeking assistance from their current abusive situations. The education program functions to provide the community and professionals with the required information on healthy relationships. Therefore, they are guided by the fact that there should be synergistic efforts towards achieving a better world without violence against women with a mission of providing shelter, education and public sensitization to all the abused women and children. Therefore, it has grown to become the subsequent vision that any form of aggression against women and children will not be tolerated by society. The organization’s central contributions lie in the empowerment of women against this vice in the advent of calls for equality among males and females. This organization is also playing a fundamental part in refining the community regarding the costs of domestic violence and the benefits of avoiding it. It is also playing a significant role in creating conflict resolutions and ways to avoid the emergence of these conflicts. In other word, it means that the organization is working on the creation, sustainability and dissemination of peace in homes hence alleviating this problem of violence that is directed by men towards women. This has in turn resulted into many women coming out and talking of the vice after the realization that abuse is not a private matter or shame. However, one of limitations is their exclusive involvement in women’s issues alone. This is in the face of the reality that there are a substantial number of men who are also abused by women, and, therefore, need assistance too. According to Worell (469) there are three waves of feminism the first existed from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century, and it encompassed efforts within the rules and laws of the society to achieve enhanced inclusion and participation of women in societal matters. The second wave stated in the 1960s and ended in the 1980s, and in this wave, a variety of school of thoughts was established to define what was gender oppression and mapping out the way out of the vice. The third wave, which has overlapped with the second wave, has significantly contributed to fight for literal and practical equality between men and women. This has been achieved through elucidation and inclusion of modernized thoughts. These thoughts have deviated from the theories of the second wave of feminism that were stirred by manmade perspectives to multiple perspectives that value diversity and flexibility on gender associations (McRobby, 4). Therefore, it is evident that feministic actions have been evolving over time. However, cultural feminists have brought to life the social in the folks to pact with the crisis of familial aggression. Therefore, WCSWR is a reflection of this radical feminism, for they believe that violence against women is outdated and should not be allowed growth in the modern society. This is because radical feminism has identified oppression against women as a basic and persistent form of oppression that should be eliminated through social activism (Beasley, 9). This is because this oppression can be seen in all aspects of a woman’s life where there is patriarchal control over women’s bodies at home, unequal employment at the work place, housework and of course intimate partnerships. This has, therefore, resulted into a need for societal change that has been aimed at uncovering these oppressions, shedding some light on them and determining the right way forward. This is beyond the cultural feminism where efforts to revalue the traditional feminine strengths are seen not as powerful enough to bring a change (Krolokke and Sorensen, 20). It is this notion of difficultness of managing change in the current social order that radical feminists have resolved to create separate environments. These environments are preserved for women where new values are clarified. This is because they result into women contributing creatively to new values other than being deviated from this goal by patriarchal values. WCSWR is such an institution that idealizes radical feminism where women are separated to empower them, and at the same time educate the public and other professionals. All these people potentiate each other to achieve a society free of violence directed towards women by their male counterparts. Therefore, WCSWR organization relates a lot to the radical feminism that has developed into extreme significance in the modern world where women are looking for a social change through education, support and outreach services to transform women into acknowledging and standing for their rights. This strategy is strongly reflected in its vision to eradicate violence that occurs differently against both women and children to achieve an intolerant society towards the vice. It is noteworthy that the organization associates itself mainly with the community that works together in building women as a whole person after the violence. Therefore, they are involved in different groups that especially help with achievement of complete healing of women. Such institutions include the counseling services from various firms, emergency help lines and municipalities that in one way or another their services are a reinforcement of those at the WCSWR. It is evident that these organizations and groups are not explicitly feminist as one would expect because they are just groups in the public health field. As it is known, public health organizations function to improve the health of every whether male or female (During, 171). However, some of the philosophy of the organization of ending violence against women puts emphasis on the women aspect that is affected by violence. This is feministic in a way for nowhere it has the values and principles talked about men. This is also potentiated by one of the rights against abuse that states “I am a worthwhile woman”. This organization does not refer to themselves as feminists but just an organization that is established to help women build themselves or make decisions. However, most of their guiding values and principles are feministic in nature, for they emphasize on the empowerment of women. Although it is difficult to dissociate violence against women with calls for cultural feminists for a social change, the organization only functions to help those who are out or still in abusive relationships to rebuild their lives. This is normally through support services, education programs, and residential services, especially for those still in abusive relationships. The way they define their work for women relates indirectly to the feminist actions and services. This is because they are functioning on the consequences of feminism rather than working to prevent. However, all in all they have a role to play in the chain of events that are mapping out the future of women in society. This means that feminism occurs in different aspects that take different forms. Therefore, there are those in the leading park against feminism and those taking care of the little problems in the society. Therefore, the organization is functioning in line with social change where the creation of separate institutions of women to impart the values of empowerment against violence is the new strategy. It is certainly a significant step in confronting this vice that threatens to break the society. This is in spite of womens efforts to hold to create a sustainable world with no animosity towards one another. Works cited Beasley, Chris. What is feminism? An introduction to feminist theory. Amsterdam. SAGE, 1999. Print. During, Simon. Cultural studies: a critical introduction. London, Routledge, 2005. Print. Krolokke, Charlotte and Sorensen, Scott. Gender communication theories & analyses: from silence to performance. Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications, 2006. Print. McRobbie, Angela. The Aftermath of Feminism: Gender, Culture and Social Change. Publications Ltd, 2009. Print. Worell, Judith. Encyclopedia of Women and gender: sex similarities and differences and the impact of society on gender, Vol 1.Amsterdam Elsevier, 2001.Print. Read More