Some women were just not interested in talking and indicated they had nothing to say. In a lot of cases Rabbittown staff felt the woman didn't want to talk because men were home. In several instances a discussion would be underway with a woman and the man would butt in or answer a question. The woman would then say, in one form or another, "I'm really not interested in this."

In many instances, people would just not answer the door. Clearly people were inside and on several occasions someone was seen peeking out behind a curtain. In other instances, a man would answer the door and say the woman was not interested, even though he would not tell her that anyone was there to see her.

In one instance, the man and the woman were home and Bella asked if they knew anything about the Rabbittown Community Centre. The man answered, "Yes" and said, "It's okay for you (the woman) to fill out the form." When Bella began talking to her about women he told Bella to get out. By mistake Sandra went to the same house and he answered the door. He said, "My wife is out and she's not filling out any goddamn forms about women."

For the most part, older women were not interested in completing the questionnaire. They did often welcome the researchers in for a cup of tea and were quite happy with the company and an opportunity to show photos and talk about their family members. In general, this was the group who appeared to be most contented with their lot in life.

Through their conversations, the staff at Rabbittown learned that many women in the community believe it is important for women to interact with each other. They felt that space should be provided for women to share issues and concerns in a supportive environment. The Rabbittown staff were not entirely surprised to hear that women were not participating in programs due to the stresses and pressures associated with violence in their lives, isolation, childcare and household responsibilities, financial insecurity, and lack of support from family, partner, and community.

The question which women responded to with enthusiasm and , perhaps a healthy dose of defiance was, "Do you think women today are starting to be more independent and want to be in control of their lives?" Their comments ranged from "women want a better life for themselves" to "women are tired of being controlled" to "a woman feels the need to be financially independent, having this kind of independence puts a woman in control." As one woman said, "Times have changed. . . Women see things in a different light."

Perhaps the emphasis women placed on concepts like independence, equality, and freedom - along with statements about the importance of programs for women - is an indication of their personal interest in change. The survey questions were deliberately worded to ask opinions about women's lives in general. When women responded, the Rabbittown staff had a clear sense that most of them were talking about their own lives and their own personal experiences. If their senses are correct then there are a number of women out there who are personally ready to make a shift.