Women’s Waves - A podcast by Vancouver Rape Relief

Lesbian Visibility

April 26th 2021 is Lesbian Visibility Day. For the occasion, we interviewed Liane Timmermann from Get the L Out UK and Natalie Wlock from the Vancouver Lesbian Collective. The episode ends with a poem by lesbian feminist poet Chrystos.

Poetry Reading by Chrystos

Poetry reading by the indigenous lesbian feminist poet Chrystos.
Recorded on Dec 5th 2020, as part of our annual Montreal Massacre Memorial.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Women

COVID-19 did not create the struggles women are currently facing, but highlighted and exasperated their existing struggles. On this episode, 3 feminists groups share the barriers women faced during the pandemic, from the perspective of women in prison, women working in the domestic and caregiving field, as well as women escaping male violence.
This episode features:
- Julie Diesta and Lotis Caluza from the Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers' and Caregivers' Rights
- Alia Perini and Candice Pilgrim from Strength in Sisterhood (Advocates for incarcerated women)
- Sonam Khangura and Hilla Kerner from Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter

This episode is produced in Vancouver, Canada, by Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter

Inside a Feminist Self Defence Workshop

How do women keep themselves safe? What happens when women use their power in an active way and not as passive beauty ornaments? On this episode, we invite you inside our free feminist self defence workshop.

This episode features:
- Jennifer Kirkey, Instructor at Wenlido West
- Gay Ferguson, Instructor at Wenlido West
- Sonam Khangura, Vancouver Rape Relief
- Catharine Daalton, Vancouver Rape Relief

Women's Waves is produced in Vancouver, Canada, by Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter.

Dominique Christina : Words Make Worlds

Dominique Christina is an award-winning poet, author, educator, and activist. She holds poetry slam titles including US National Poetry Slam Champion and Women of the World Slam Champion. Her work is greatly influenced by her family's legacy in the Civil Rights Movement and by the idea that words make worlds.

This podcast is an excerpt from Dominique’s workshop at Vancouver Rape Relief’s event for the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women in 2018.

Women's Waves is produced in Vancouver, Canada, by Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter.

Sisterhood in the Transition House

In Canada, as in many other parts in the world, women first operated rape crisis centres and transition houses in the mid 70's as part of the second wave of the feminist movement.

The collective of Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter has been operating a rape crisis centre since 1973 and a transition house since 1981.

In April 2009, we invited women who stayed in our own transition house, and in the second stage housing of Monroe House and Safe Choice, to share their experience of using these houses to get free from violent men.

Women's Waves is produced in Vancouver (Canada) by Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter.

Interview with e nina jay

In this interview, "black, lesbian, womanist, feminist, poet and survivor" e nina jay tells us how working at a rape crisis center brought her to poetry, how she survives rape and incest, why women-only space is important and how she challenges racism in the feminist movement.

Women's Waves is produced in Vancouver (Canada) by Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter.

The Fight for Abortion Rights Around the World, Part 2 - Carol Downer

This is part 2 of a two part series on reproductive rights. In this episode we speak with Carol Downer, the woman responsible for leading the reproductive self-help movement in the 1970s.

The Fight for Abortion Rights Around the World, Part 1

Feminists understand that at the root, having control over our own bodies is an important step in working towards the full liberation of women. We reached out to some of the bold women who are fighting for abortion access around the world, for the women of their country.

This episode features:
- Gabriela Rondon, ANIS (Brazil)
- Joanne Neary, Abortion Rights Campaign (Ireland)
- Emma Campbell, Alliance For Choice (Northern Ireland)

This is part one of a two part series on reproductive rights.
In part two, we speak with the inspiring Carol Downer, the woman responsible for leading the reproductive self-help movement in the 1970s.

Dispelling Prostitution Myths

All around the world, feminist abolitionists are committed to put an end to prostitution. At the 3rd World Congress Against the Sexual Exploitation of Women and Girls in Germany last April, we asked women from different abolitionist groups to dispel prostitution myths.

This episode features:
Sarah Benson, Ruhama (Ireland)
Valerie Pelletier, La CLES (Canada)
Ghada Jabour, Kafa (Lebanon)
Esohe Aghatise, Iroko Onlus (Italy)
Claire Quidet, Mouvement du Nid (France)
Cherie Jimenez, Eva Center (United-States)
Paula Cepeda, Iniciativa Pro Equidad De Género (Columbia)
Mickey Meji, KWANELE (South Africa)

Women’s Waves is produced by Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter, in Vancouver, BC, Canada.