Involvement in the CCLOW research project

Robin Silverman Allcorn, assistant coordinator at Beat the Street, was concerned about the lack of women's participation in the program. Robin organized a meeting for women to discuss their needs in the Centre and they decided to form a Women's Committee. The committee would function as a support group, work to make Beat the Street a safe place for women, and encourage more women to participate in the program.

Robin heard about the CCLOW research project through the Metro Toronto Movement for Literacy, the local umbrella organization, when she phoned to find out whether any programs had developed policies for dealing with sexual harassment. She contacted CCLOW to find out if Beat the Street could be involved. The Women's Committee felt they could benefit from networking with other women across the country. They wanted to find out if women in other programs shared their concerns.

The woman-positive activity

Tuesday nights were set aside for women at Beat the Street. On regular Tuesday evenings the women worked on developing literacy skills. On the last Tuesday of the month they cooked and shared a meal together before discussing business.

The group decided to write about what happened at Beat the Street when they formed the Women's Committee. The women kept daily journals about their experiences in the program. In addition, they developed a book that includes writings, photographs, and art work about significant things that have happened in their lives and in the program since the Women's Committee started.

This is what happened

The Women's Committee did a lot for the self-esteem of the women at Beat the Street and changed how they felt about each other. It gave the women a place to be with other women, a chance to learn without boyfriends, or men trying to get a date. It gave the women a chance to understand that they were not alone, that there were other women who had similar experiences.

The beginning of the Women's Committee made it clear how prevalent sexual harassment, sexual assault, and emotional abuse were at the Centre. At the meetings, women talked about incidents that had happened to them, and how they had been afraid to do anything for fear of further retaliation. The women talked about what they could do to make sure they were really protected. They talked about procedures to back up policies so that they really worked for the protection of the women.