Aboriginal Women on the Move – Cross Canada Cycle Tour 2006 to Reach St. John’s, NFLD on August 11th

On July 17th, three extraordinary women rode into Ottawa after bicycling over 4000 kilometres since early June from Vancouver, British Columbia. Along the way, they have encountered blistering heat, violent winds and rain, highway traffic at breakneck speeds, and occasionally curious wildlife.

These three women, Sheila Swasson, Chi Metallic-Larocque and Donna Martin-Metallic, are Mi'gmaq First Nation and mothers. They are cycling across Canada to raise awareness and bring attention to family violence in Aboriginal communities and violence against Aboriginal women.

Through cycling 7200 kms from Vancouver, BC to St. Johns, NFLD, these women are talking, sharing and problem-solving with the communities that welcome them. Sheila Swasson affirms that their tour "is not about the bike...it is not about the cycling, the bikes and the cycling are simply the modes in which we are using to raise awareness and bring attention to the social and health issues of family violence, then taking it one step further....let's do something about it."

Notably, July 17th is also the day, more than 25 years ago, when Canada signalled its intention to ratify CEDAW: the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). By signing and ratifying this United Nations treaty, governments in Canada committed to taking all of the necessary steps to ensure that women are able to live without discrimination, including violence.

Sadly, many women in Canada still live with violence. In particular, Aboriginal women confront very high levels of violence. The Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC), which launched a national education and prevention campaign in 2005, estimates that approximately 500 Aboriginal women have gone missing in the last 20 years as a result of violence. This estimate is supported by 1996 government statistics which showed that: Aboriginal women with status were five times more likely to die as a result of violence than any other group of Canadian women.

Since their departure on May 28th from Vancouver, BC, Sheila, Chi and Donna have visited 42 communities across Canada and have learned about the realities of family violence being faced by women and their families. In the short period of time people are talking and sharing their experiences with them, "the support, feedback and comments are bigger than we had anticipated," affirms Ms. Swasson.

After leaving Ottawa on July 18th, they will visit 20 communities in their journey to be completed in St. Johns, NFLD on August 11, 06.

To find out if these fabulous women will stop in a community near you, please visit: Aboriginal Women on the Move. If so, we, the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) and the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW), encourage you to welcome them and learn from their journey.

You can also demonstrate your support by sending emails and/or letters, visiting the Aboriginal Women on the Move website, sharing this information and/or by making a donation to your local women's shelter.

These women are cycling because they believe that it is through dialogue and sharing information with local communities that solutions and best practices in addressing family violence will present themselves. According to Ms. Martin-Metallic, it is through this dialogue that they aim "to better equip those who work in the field of family violence with the knowledge and skill to assist those who find themselves caught in the vicious cycle of family violence."

Statistical Information:

The Hard Facts: Violence against Women in Canada

51% of women in Canada have experienced at least one violence incident as defined by the criminal code.
1 in 10 women are victims of violence
Women between the ages of 25-34 have the highest rate of spousal abuse.
1 in 4 women seeking care in the emergency room for any reason is a victim of violence (Source: Canadian Women's Foundation: www.cdnwomen.org)

In a report, Assessing Violence Against Women: A Statistical Profile, release by the Status of Women, notes that, "Aboriginal women are also particularly vulnerable to violence, spousal homicide rates of Aboriginal women were more than eight times the rate for non-Aboriginal women."

E-Mail: (until August 15 ) AWOTM can be reached at mimigeus@hotmail.com

Cellular Phone # : (Starting May 15) 506-789-3369

Sheila Swasson sheila_swasson@globetrotter.net

Donna Metallic metallicdv@globetrotter.net

Chi Metallic-Larocque chi_metallic-larocque@globetrotter.net

Or if you'd like to contact us by snail mail, send comments and question to:

Cycling to End Family Violence

Haven House

P.O. Box 99

Listuguj, Quebec G0C 2R0

Attention: Sheila Swasson

www.aboriginalwomenonthemove.org/contactus.html

How To Get Involved

There are various ways in which people can get involved:

Visit Aboriginal Women On the Move website at www.aboriginalwomenonthemove.org
Circulate this release within your networks
Participate in the tour's welcoming activities in the community closest to your area
Look at the tour dates and communities and organize a welcoming or take-off activity in your community
Tell your friends and contacts about "Aboriginal Women on the Move"
Download and post our flyer in your community
Support "AWOTM" through a donation or Sponsor a Kilometer

In-Kind Contributions

Support your local Women Shelter (fund-raise, Volunteer)
Organize an information session on family violence in your community
Speak Out Against Violence
Join us as we cycle through your community/region
Contact AWOTM to become a corporate Sponsor of the tour
You can also visit and BLOG with them at < a href= "http://www.awotm.blogspot.com/" target= "new_page">www.awotm.blogspot.com

Thank you for your interest in the Cycle Tour 2006.