Mission & Vision

Women and gender-diverse people in every culture have ways of working together to stop violence. We honour these strengths.

Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic offers trauma-informed legal, counselling, and multilingual interpretation services to diverse women and gender-diverse people who have experienced violence. We cultivate their skills and resilience by fostering safety, dignity, and equality, and we amplify their voices to create individual and collective change.

Since its founding in 1985, the Clinic has assisted more than 150,000 women and gender-diverse survivors of violence through our direct services, advocacy efforts, legal reform, submissions, projects, and programs.

Mission

Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic offers trauma-informed legal services and representation, counselling and multilingual interpretation, and drives system transformation to support women and gender diverse people who have experienced violence.

Rooted in the foundations of intersectionality, innovation, and a client-centred approach, we foster the skills and resilience of the people we serve and amplify their voices to create individual and collective change.

Vision

We envision a world where women and gender diverse people live free from violence and discrimination.

Belief Statements

1. Gender-based violence is an act of violence against women and gender diverse people that includes various forms of oppression such as racism, colonialism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and ableism. Rooted in and perpetuating gender inequalities, it results in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering. Gender-based violence may include financial, structural, or institutional abuse, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty,
whether occurring in public or private life.

2. Gender-based violence happens in all cultures. It is an abuse of power, results in inequality, and affects all relationships through the generations.

3. Communities globally have worked and will continue to work together to stop gender-based violence. We honour, value and cultivate the work that has come before us in our commitment to finding sustainable solutions in the present.

Value Statements

Anti-Oppression, Anti-Racism and Feminism
We are a trauma-informed, intersectional feminist organization. The concept of intersectionality describes the ways in which systems of inequality based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, class and other forms of discrimination “intersect” to create unique dynamics and effects. Our work is guided by the experiences and struggles of underserved, Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities and movements against oppression, sexism, colonialism, racism, ableism, and other forms of discrimination.

Empathy
Our work is grounded in empathy and compassion for individuals’ dignity and safety, viewing the world from multiple perspectives with empathy in action. The concept of empathy requires the ability to actively listen, be curious and build relationships without judgment.

Self-Awareness
Our work is grounded in a reflective practice that continually examines power imbalances and builds our collective awareness and ability to work towards equitable responses and solutions. The concept of self-awareness is the ability to be reflective of one’s thoughts, emotions and behaviours to allow us to respond compassionately to others.

Partnerships and Networks
We work in partnership with local, national and global movements to amplify voices against systemic and structural oppression. We commit to respectful and reciprocal collaborations across many sectors.

Autonomy and Self-Determination
We respect and promote individuals’ autonomy to make the choices that are best for them as we support them in their journey to freedom from violence. We centre our services around people’s experiences and decision.

Strategic Priorities

We advocate for law reform and social changes that benefit women and gender diverse people. We also provide professional development opportunities for service providers.

• Deepen Our Service Impact: Inspiring Expertise in Action
• Drive Systems Change: Advancing Rights for Women and Gender Diverse People
• Develop Our Organizational Resilience: Building Leadership and Sustainability

Board of Directors

• Saba Zia, Chair
• Mary Jackson, Secretary
• Anju Kukreja, Treasurer

Members at Large

• Ade Oyemade
• Ashleigh Saith
• Bianca Thomas
• Christine Wadsworth
• Erin Ellis
• Jackie Burns
• Kathryn Manning
• Reena Tandon
• Samantha Paisley
• Sundeep Sandhu

United Nations

The Clinic is an Economic & Social Council-accredited organization in consultation with the United Nations. Through this designation, the Clinic participates in international events that advance social justice with a focus on gender.