In 2021, the BC Society of Transition Houses, Technology Safety Project published “Connectivity, Access and the Impact on BC’s Rural, Remote, and Indigenous Women Experiencing Violence.” The paper recommends policy work that prioritizes connectivity as a safety necessity for anti-violence and emergency preparedness.
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For the private sector, phone and internet providers
Women and Girls in Rural, Remote, and Indigenous (RRI) communities face added barriers to meaningful connectivity due to their rurality.
Recommendation 1: Affordable internet and phone programs can build on their work by undergoing a review of their accessibility that applies a barriers reduction approach in order to maximize their impact. Simultaneous work could be conducted related to program equity. (This could include, for example, exploration of innovative policies such as sliding scale payments.)-
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For the private sector, phone and internet providers
Women and Girls in Rural, Remote, and Indigenous (RRI) communities face added barriers to meaningful connectivity due to their rurality.
Recommendation 2: Help invest in connectivity infrastructure (ex. cell phone towers, internet wiring, etc) to expand availability of affordable access plans where they are most needed.-
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For the private sector, phone and internet providers
Women and Girls in Rural, Remote, and Indigenous (RRI) communities face added barriers to meaningful connectivity due to their rurality.
Recommendation 3: Increase speeds offered in affordable access programs to meet targets in order to help facilitate equitable and meaningful connectivity for all.-
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For government, RRI communities, private sector, phone and internet providers
Women and Girls in Rural, Remote, and Indigenous (RRI) communities face added barriers to meaningful connectivity due to their rurality.
Recommendation 4: ISPs could consider partnering with RRIs communities to develop alternatives so that communities have increased choices. This could work in conjunction with increased affordable internet and phone plans, as well as related equity and accessibility reviews (Organizations such as Pathways to Technology and The First Nations Technology Council are working in this field).-
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For government
Women and Girls in Rural, Remote, and Indigenous (RRI) communities face added barriers to meaningful connectivity due to their rurality.
Recommendation 6: Revise policies relating to connectivity and expansion goals in order to recognize gender-based and intersectional elements of digital divides, as well as how these relate to violence and anti-violence work. Shift work related to connectivity from a conversation that focuses mainly on economic inclusion and opportunities to one where gender equality and safety is also central.-
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For BCSTH, government, advocacy organizations and NGOs
Lack of meaningful connectivity negatively impacts both service providers and service users.
Recommendation 7: Support meaningful connectivity for anti-violence workers of all abilities and make online training more accessible by providing closed captions on online webinars.-
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For BCSTH, government, advocacy organizations and NGOs
Lack of meaningful connectivity negatively impacts both service providers and service users.
Recommendation 8: For online training or webinars, accommodate varying levels of connectivity by providing text copies of slides (in the description, caption, etc.) in case audio cuts out for anti-violence workers tuning in from RRI communities. Provide copies of slides before the training session so that participants can attend in listen only mode.-
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For BCSTH, antiviolence organizations/member programs
Lack of meaningful connectivity negatively impacts both service providers and service users.
Recommendation 9: Develop and provide more comprehensive digital literacy training for RRI anti-violence workers.-
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For BCSTH, NGOs, anti-violence organizations, member programs
Lack of meaningful connectivity negatively impacts both service providers and service users.
Recommendation 11: Organizations can promote anti-violence worker’s wellbeing and prevent burnout (which could impact service delivery) by developing occupational health and wellbeing policies that reflect new delivery methods and contexts such as those that utilize more technology, including remote service delivery or work from home situations.-
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For BCSTH, NGOs, anti-violence organizations, member programs
Lack of meaningful connectivity negatively impacts both service providers and service users.
Recommendation 12: Agencies can advocate for funders to pay for internet for anti-violence workers.-
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