In this new Women Unite Interview, Darlene Lawson and Deb Parent discuss the early history of creating crisis centres for women experiencing violence.
The issue of violence against women began to emerge into the public arena in 1973. In Toronto, women started discussions when it became apparent that abused women had nowhere to go. They decided to establish Interval House. At about the same time, in 1974, women realized that women who had been assaulted had nowhere to turn to for help. Darlene and Deb discuss how Interval House and the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre were at the vanguard of understanding the dimensions of intersectionality in the women’s movement.
“…experiences of abuse, whether it be physical or sexual abuse or sexual harassment, wasn’t just an individual experience or a solitary experience, it was, in fact, a bit of a pandemic.” – Deb Parent