pathways partners
our community includes many incredible organizations already working with men & boys to advance gender justice and prevent violence across canada.
They bring a depth of knowledge and experience to our community, supporting our goal to bridge gaps between existing practitioners and newcomers to this work.
You can find information and contacts for all of them here.
Location: Calgary, AB
Scope/Scale: Local, Provincial, National, International
Type of Org: Social Enterprise
Scope of Work: Primary prevention, Knowledge translation, Capacity building, Policy and systems change
Organization Description: Shift2Learn is an online learning platform dedicated to enhancing the capacities of leaders and practitioners in advancing primary prevention efforts to stop the perpetration of violence. Our overall goal is to build a skilled primary prevention workforce that can stop violence before it happens. We do that by offering self-paced online learning so that practitioners, policy makers and anyone interested in violence prevention can acquire knowledge and capacities to create the social conditions that prevent violence and build equitable communities.
Engaging Men and Boys Work: Lana Wells is a co-founder of Shift2Learn and a founder of Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence at the University of Calgary where she has been engaged in advancing the field of engaging men and boys in violence prevention and gender equality for the last 14 years. Shift has developed men and boys’ government action plans, community action plans, built programming targeting men and fathers, and designed and tested behavioural approaches within male-dominated settings, all with the focus to engage and mobilize men and boys in violence prevention and gender equity efforts. In the past few years, Shift has focused on synthesizing best and promising practices while working alongside the anti-violence sector and two orders of government (federal and provincial) to integrate evidence into their decision-making. At Shift2Learn, we integrate all that knowledge and evidence into our online modules so that the workforce (policy makers, practitioners, etc.) can acquire knowledge, skills, and capacities to create the social conditions to prevent the perpetration of violence and build equitable communities.
One of Shift2Learn online modules is called Breaking Barriers Together: A Guide to Engaging Men in Gender-Based Violence Prevention. This e-learning provides a strong case on why it is important to engage and mobilize men in gender-based violence prevention. It also highlights key barriers impeding men’s participation while also offering 13 pragmatic tips to overcome these challenges, with an emphasis on the importance of framing calls to action that are strength-based. Powered by academic and community research, this module was developed to support practitioners, policy makers and advocates who have become interested in working with men to advance violence prevention. It will be of interest to individuals getting started in their work with men and want to apply research-based practices to their approach.
Links / Resources: Website .
Location: Regina, SK
Scope/Scale: Provincial
Type of Org: Charity / Non Profit
Scope of Work: Primary Prevention, Intervention, Crisis Support, Advocacy, Capacity Building
Populations Served: Individuals, Organizations
Organization Description: YWCA Regina empowers women, youth, and children to realize their full potential. Our programs offer members of our community opportunities to learn and grow safely, while providing hope for a brighter tomorrow. An investment in YWCA Regina’s programming is an investment in the future.
Engaging Men and Boys Work: Upstander in Schools is an 8-week leadership program for boys and gender-diverse youth in grades 6-8 to build knowledge and skills in topics of positive masculinity, emotional literacy, healthy relationships, and the issues impacting their lives. In this course, boys will learn how to feel more empowered in expressing their emotions and taking action against gender inequity.
Links / Resources: Website . LinkedIn . Facebook . Twitter . Instagram
Location: Camrose, AB
Scope/Scale: Local
Type of Org: Charity / Non Profit
Scope of Work: Early Intervention, Crisis Support
Populations Served: Individuals
Organization Description: Changing Ways help people of all ages understand family violence, heal their relationships and move forward. Here, you can find support groups and gain skills to improve relationships.
Engaging Men and Boys Work: Changing Ways coordinates the Camrose Family Violence Response Council and is involved in various local initiatives; Changing Ways are happy to meet with agencies and community groups to discuss family violence, including appropriate intervention and prevention.
Changing Ways offer Intimate partner violence education/counselling groups for adults who have experienced any form of abusive behaviour in relationships. They offer separate groups for those who identify as men and women. They also offer an 8-week educational group for adults who want to deal with chronic rage or anger unrelated to their intimate relationships.
Links / Resources: Website . LinkedIn . Facebook . Twitter . Instagram
Location: Toronto, ON
Scope/Scale: International
Type of Org: Charity / Non Profit
Scope of Work: Primary Prevention, Advocacy, Research
Populations Served: Individuals, Communities, Organizations, Local Government (Health Services)
Organization Description: Movember is the leading charity changing the face of men’s health by focussing on the areas of mental health & suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. Since 2003, Movember has funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects around the world, challenging the status quo, shaking up men’s health research and transforming the way health services reach and support men.
Engaging Men and Boys Work: Movember provide ongoing support, funding and advocacy for many grassroots initiatives in Canada and globally that promote positive masculinities, mental health and healthy relationships.
Links / Resources: Website . LinkedIn . Facebook . Twitter . Instagram
Location: St Albert, AB
Scope/Scale: Local
Type of Org: Local Government
Scope of Work: Primary Prevention, Advocacy
Populations Served: Individuals, Communities, Academic Institutions
Organization description: The City of St Albert council is committed to building our community to meet the needs of residents and businesses, further strengthening St. Albert.
Engaging Men and Boys Work: The City of St Albert host Menship, a free ongoing group for men of various ages creating opportunities for men's social & emotional wellbeing through connections, education, skill development and community involvement.
St. Albert Men’s Pilot group will run in-person for eight weeks, starting April 16th 2024. Common themes that will be discussed in this group series include topics such as: relationship breakdown, depression, trauma, grief, stress, anger, identity, and life transitions. The group will consist of all male-identifying facilitators and participants.
The City of St Albert partner with SAiF Society to deliver the WiseGuyz program to grade 8-9 boys in St Albert. WiseGuyz supports male identifying youth to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to have healthy relationships and to prevent adolescent dating violence.
Beyond this, the City create public awareness campaigns and provide community development around GBV prevention.
Links / Resources: Menship program . Anchor Men’s Group . WiseGuyz in St Albert Website . LinkedIn . Facebook . Twitter . Instagram
Location: International
Scope/Scale: International
Type of Org: Charity / Non Profit
Scope of Work: Advocacy, Primary Prevention, Research
Populations Served: Individuals, Communities, Organizations, Academic Institutions
Organization Description: White Ribbon is the world’s largest movement of men and boys working to end violence against women and girls, promote gender equity, healthy relationships and a new vision of masculinity.
Engaging Men and Boys Work: White Ribbon has engaged millions of people, brands, organisations and educators through the creative use of social and mobile tools that inspire men to speak out against gender-based violence. Since 1991, they have been helping workplaces and sectors develop policies, strategies, public education, individual accountability, campaigns and training to address a wide range of gender-based violence prevention issues. White Ribbon also greatly contribute to thought leadership through ongoing research in the engaging men and boys sector.
Links / Resources: Website . LinkedIn . Facebook . Twitter . Instagram
Location: Fort McMurray, AB
Scope/Scale: Provincial
Type of Org: Non-Profit
Scope of Work: Intervention, Crisis Support
Populations Served: Individuals
Organization Description: Waypoints provide services for individuals affected by family violence
Engaging Men and Boys Work: Way Points' Opportunities for Change program works with those who have previously been perpetrators of domestic violence. The Opportunities for Change program aims to prevent further incidents of violence and abuse through support and education.
Links / Resources: Website . LinkedIn . Facebook . Twitter . Instagram
Location: Vancouver/Burnaby, BC
Scope/Scale: Local
Type of Org: Educational Institution
Scope of Work: Education, Primary Prevention, Crisis Support
Populations Served: Individuals, Communities
Organization description: SFU SVSO envision a university community and society where individuals are empowered to live, work and learn fully, free from sexual violence.
Engaging Men and Boys Work: SVSPO offer gender-based violence education and prevention programs, such as active bystander training. SVSPO's mission is develop and implement a comprehensive educational strategy to equip SFU students, faculty, and staff with the awareness, knowledge, and skills to effect social change towards ending sexual violence. SFU delivered events on the theme of 'Masculinities for Humanity' for sexual assault awareness month 2024. You can watch recordings here.
Location: Edmonton, AB
Scope/Scale: Local
Type of Org: Local Government
Scope of Work: Research, Advocacy, Primary Prevention
Populations Served: Individuals, Organizations, Communities, Government
Organization Description: Edmonton City Council looks to engage all Edmontonians, but in particular, champions the role that men and boys play in the building of allyship and bystander skills to make our city safer, while improving the quality of life for people of all genders.
Engaging Men and Boys Work: In an effort to make Edmonton the best city in Canada for women, men and children to live work and play, the City is committed to preventing and addressing gender based violence through working with community stakeholders to target the root causes: inequality and discrimination.
Links / Resources: Website . LinkedIn . Facebook . Twitter . Instagram
Location: Edmonton, AB
Scope/Scale: Local
Type of Org: Non-Profit / Charity
Scope of Work: Advocacy, Crisis Support, Early Intervention, Primary Prevention, Knowledge Dissemination
Populations Served: Individuals, Organizations, Communities
Organization description: SACE provides an extensive range of support services for people who experience sexual violence, including: crisis support, counselling, court support, and advocacy. We also aim to foster prevention of sexual violence through direct public education and advisory consultation with groups and agencies undertaking their own prevention efforts.
Engaging Men and Boys Work: SACE provide counselling services for men healing from sexual violence, offers a men’s group (trans-inclusive) and serves male and masculine clients on an individual basis. Topics covered include masculinity, shame & anger and mental health.
To help our next generation of men and masculine folk learn more about positive masculinities, healthy relationships, consent and sexual health, SACE offer WiseGuyz, a gender-transformative healthy relationships program for mid-adolescent boys and masculine youth that aims to reduce sexual and dating violence, improve mental and sexual health, and decrease homophobic attitudes by creating a safer space to critically examine and deconstruct conventional masculine norms.
Links / Resources: Website . LinkedIn . Facebook . Twitter . Instagram
Location: Edmonton, AB
Scope/Scale: Provincial
Type of Org: Charity / Member Organization
Scope of Work: Research, Primary Prevention, Capacity Building, Advocacy, Policy & Systems Change
Populations Served: Organizations, Government, Practitioners, Academic Institutions, Communities
Organization Description: A registered charity, ACWS is the provincial network organization of domestic violence shelters in Alberta. They bring four decades of experience and knowledge to serve their 40 members operating over 50 shelters across the province for women, their children, and seniors facing domestic abuse. We advocate for ACWS members and work with them to end domestic violence through culture-shifting violence prevention programs, collective data and research, and front-line training.
Engaging Men and Boys Work: Leading Change™ programming by ACWS has been used successfully in schools and communities. ACWS has facilitated training in schools, colleges, and universities and their Leading Change Expansion Pack is available to order FREE to help men better understand their role and opportunity to make the world a better place.
Links / Resources: Leading Change Program . Instagram . Facebook . LinkedIn
Location: Calgary, AB
Scope/Scale: Provincial, National, International
Type of Org: Action Research / Academic
Scope of Work: Research, Primary Prevention, Knowledge Integration, Capacity Building, Policy & Systems Change
Populations Served: Human Service Organizations, Networks and Coalitions, All Orders of Government, International Governing Bodies, Researchers and Academic Institutions, NGOs, Communities and Civil Society
Engaging Men and Boys Work: The focus of Shift’s work is to design, test and scale approaches that nurture and support men and boys to become allies, partners, violence disrupters and co-beneficiaries in the movement to stop gender-based violence. Their focus is in four areas:
Changing the policy environment to support equity, inclusion, and violence prevention.
Partnering with community leaders, systems and organizations to engage and mobilize men and boys in their violence prevention strategies.
Building a workforce to engage and mobilize men and boys.
Provide strategic support, research, facilitation, training and capacity building to advance equity, inclusion, safety and violence prevention.
Links / Resources: Website
Location: Calgary, AB
Scope/Scale: Provincial
Type of Org: Non-Profit
Scope of Work: Early Intervention, Primary Prevention, Capacity Building
Populations Served: Individuals, Organizations, Communities
Organization Description: Sagesse empowers individuals, organizations and communities to disrupt structures of domestic abuse through curating environments for people to develop skills and lead safe, healthy lives. They work each day to support individuals impacted by abuse, while also challenging norms and advocating for large-scale societal change that will eradicate abuse in Alberta. At the heart of their programming is a commitment to innovation in all facets of the organization.
Engaging Men and Boys Work: Through their program, Men's Real Talk, Sagesse host important discussions about how men both experience or use domestic abuse and provide a place for men to find hope as we navigate accountability and support, together as informal supports in our communities.
Links / Resources: Website . LinkedIn . Facebook . Twitter . Instagram
Location: Vancouver, BC
Scope/Scale: Provincial
Type of Org: Member Organization
Scope of Work: Capacity Building, Advocacy, Primary Prevention
Populations Served: Organizations, Government, Practitioners
Organization description: EVA BC support, train and advocate for anti-violence workers in close to 300 anti-violence programs across the province that respond to sexual and intimate partner violence, child abuse, and criminal harassment. To ensure the best outcomes for survivors and promote social change, we work with cross-sectoral partners and other stakeholders to enhance community capacity and address gender-based violence, harassment and hate.
Engaging Men and Boys Work: EVA BC delivers training and workshops designed to develop inspirational leaders who can create safe and inclusive workplaces and communities. They work with the BC Lions to provide high school students with the confidence and the skills to Be More Than a Bystander and break the silence on gender-based violence.
Links / Resources: Directory of programs . Website . Instagram . Twitter . Facebook . LinkedIn