Alliance MH2 asks Quebecers to remain outraged at gender-based violence and femicides
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Posted June 15, 2023 11:56 am.
Women’s rights organization, Alliance MH2 recently issued an announcement in reaction to the news of Melvita Devoe’s death. The 51-year-old, was shot allegedly by her husband and had been in critical condition since Sunday – but succumbed to her injuries Wednesday.
L’Alliance des maisons d’hébergement de 2e étape, known simply as Alliance MH2, is an organization that provides second stage shelters for women and children victims of intimate partner violence. It has 38 member shelters in 15 regions of Quebec whose main objective is the prevention of spousal homicide. Their 18 active member homes house more than 500 women and children each year in 145 secure accommodations.
Immigrant women face added risks for intimate partner violence
Alliance MH2 says that Devoe’s death, who had recently settled in Quebec from the Philippines, say immigrant women find themselves in a situation of increased vulnerability when they are caught in a dynamic of conjugal violence and coercive control.
These women often face additional obstacles such as the language barrier, economic precariousness and social isolation, which can greatly complicate the process of leaving a violent situation. A woman’s vulnerability increases tenfold when she has a precarious migratory status (students, temporary work permits, asylum seekers, without status). Alliance MH2 says this reality is reflected in their most recent annual report, showing that 46% of women housed in 2nd stage shelters and members of the organization are vulnerable and that 14 per cent of them hold a precarious status.
Help is available for those in need
“We want to remind women that a free interpretation service is available in all shelters,” says Gaëlle Fedida, a coordinator for Alliance MH2. “Services adapted to their needs are available for women who wish to leave a violent environment.”
The organization also reminds us that words matter. Devoe’s death was a femicide and people need to remain vigilant in the face of any situation of domestic violence or suspicion of violence.
“It is essential that we work together to end this endless spiral,” says Alliance MH2 president, Sabrina Lemeltier, “and create a future where all women and children can live safely and without fear.”