Anne wanted to focus on how violence has affected and continues to affect the group. She also hoped to write a short paper which might be published in literacy newsletters and journals, talking about the process of creating a women's group and the problems that arose. The staff interviews would be part of the material used to develop the paper.

This is what happened

The women's group continued as it had been before the CCLOW research began. During the period of the research, the group produced the two books planned before the research began.

Anne used the half day each week to record her thoughts and feelings about the group in a journal. Anne and Monique interviewed learners, tutors, and staff in the program. They asked questions about whether people felt differently about the program because there was a woman-positive activity going on. They also asked people to reflect on the words "woman-positive" and to give some sort of feedback.

Because Monique became busy with her own life, including a new job, she had to drop out of the research. Lynda Lehman, a staff person, took her place. Lynda and Anne discussed the issues that were emerging. In response to their observations they developed a plan for some immediate change and formulated three more questions that they would ask staff: Why was it so difficult to find a solution to the space issue? Are we able to meet the needs we perceive with existing resources? Why do we devalue our work?

Some of the changes Lynda and Anne decided to make involved reorganizing existing resources and initiating new resources. They formalized Lynda's role as a support person and occasional facilitator of the women's group. Staff applied for money to do a Sexual Assault Prevention workshop for members of the program. Action Read acquired a new space which included a room for on-site childcare which made it more accessible for the women's group. Men in the program started discussing the creation of a men's group. The tension among staff about space died down.

In her documentation, Anne tried to capture the chain reaction of questioning and changing that characterized the program from the time that the research began. It became apparent that a lot happened during the research year, much of which was a result of questions being asked.

What was produced

Anne wrote an article, "Taking space for woman-positive literacy work." It is published in Women in literacy speak. The program's Garlic Press also produced two books: Women: Where have we been? Where are going and Street mother.

"We decided to rewrite a pamphlet on sexual abuse
so women like us can get the help we need.