The Safe Harbour Outreach Program, a program of the St. John’s Status of Women Council, are looking for more than just an apology from the Office of the Status of Women following the written complaint to the Council’s Board of Directors.

In a letter to the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, Carol Anne Haley, SHOP says the specific targeting of the SHOP program has led to feelings of vulnerability and caused deep harm within the community.

Through Access to Information, the Independent newspaper last week uncovered correspondence prior to a written complaint to the Status of Women’s Council’s Board of Directors.

The letter says in many ways, the statements made by government representatives devalue the work of SHOP, further stigmatize sex working women and survivors.

For Immediate Release https://t.co/RAhmoBbFn1

— SJ Status of Women (@SJSOWC) October 17, 2019

SHOP and the women they serve say they need more than an apology for the comments. They want a firm commitment to the services they provide and secure operating funding.

They want support from government by committing to increased funding, by bringing SHOP under the same multi-year funding agreement that has been put in place for other community groups, including all Status of Women Councils, in the province.

The group says this would be a tangible way to begin to repair the harm caused by statements which they hope do not represent the views of the Office for the Status of Women.

SHOP says the installment of sustainable funding would send a message to current and former sex workers and survivors, many of whom are SHOP participants, that they are valued and deserving of equitable support.