The St. John’s Status of Women’s Council has launched a new e-course designed to provide people with the skills needed to respond to situations where gender-based violence may be occurring.

The council calls the program, “Empowering Them,” groundbreaking as it expands on the current model.

Executive director Laura Winters says it’s a taboo issue so they wish to bring it out into the open by offering the course and having it free of charge. Winters says gender-based violence affects the entire community.

The council sees it as groundbreaking as they’re taking the issue out into the world and saying, “hey community members, take this e-course as it’s only an hour and a half out of your life and you’re going to gain skills to think differently about gender violence.

Winters says a person who takes the course will be able to speak differently about it and will have the skills and tools to respond differently through a check-in.

.@SJSOWC Executive Director, Laura Winters says this course is a response to a demand within the community. She says sometimes there are situations and conversations that can be difficult; this course teaches skills needed to help address GBV. @VOCMNEWS pic.twitter.com/GQOvadjFWO

— Gerri Lynn Mackey (@GerriLynnMackey) November 3, 2021