describing the barriers

unreasonable demands from a male partner. A woman may have a male partner who makes unreasonable and constant demands so she cannot study, attend classes or otherwise participate in learning opportunities. Since violence and abuse are about power and control, this behaviour is another form of violence that limits a woman's ability to gain an education.

lack of sexual harassment policy in a program or institution. Students in an educational program do not always know how to report sexual abuse or harassment, even if there is a policy. The difficulty increases when there is no clear, well-understood, and enforced written policy.

program policies on absences. Women in abusive relationships may spend time recovering from physical abuse and thus miss classes. Programs need to consider why a woman misses classes. One woman "spent significant amounts of time at home recovering from beating, and also had frequent stays at the hospital to treat her more serious injuries. There was no system in place in our college to intervene with counselling or some other mechanism to free her from this abusive relationship. Ultimately, because of college regulations, and because she was a funded student, she was expelled from the program. The implications of this are that she will be a low priority applicant, should she ever decide to try again, as well as removing her from access to a place where she felt relatively safe and happy."

unresolved safety issues. Safety issues may present incredible problems for women who are in abusive situations or who are survivors; unresolved safety issues of any kind are a barrier. "The safety of women in our programs needs to be a number one concern. One student left the program suddenly when she was kidnapped by her ex-partner and taken to Toronto. As soon as she was able, she called to let us know what had happened, because she really wanted to complete the program and become free from the cycle of violence. Another student in the same program was hauled off the bus on which she was travelling home after school by a former partner who was enraged that she was trying to better herself. Eventually, the co-ordinators, together with senior management and the co-ordinators of other programs in the same building, put together a safety plan, which involved all students in the programs, in case the classrooms were invaded by angry family members who would probably be violent." All programs should have safety plans.

community pressure to conform. Some communities exert a great deal of pressure on their female members to stay home, to concern themselves only with family. A woman needs a great deal of courage as well as access to a safe support system in order to go against the customs or mores of her community. Community pressure is a real barrier for many women.

government regulations. Government training programs disadvantage immigrant women who want language training and all women who want training before entering the work force. Presently, many language training programs are designed for the head of the family, usually considered to be a man; many training programs are tied to unemployment insurance. Possible changes to the social support system may make things even more difficult for women and create even more barriers.