Absolutely.
A common response to experiencing gender-based violence is increased substance use. Women cope with trauma in different ways. We also know it leads to complex mental health challenges in many people who have experienced prolonged trauma. We know that's a result of gender-based violence, yet our systems are not yet set up to support women with those complex needs.
Many of our shelters in Manitoba are funded to have one or two staff on at a time. If we have only one staff member working an overnight shift, we can't think about implementing harm reduction approaches so those vulnerable women are well served. The end result is that they have no safe places to go, and those are the ones who are most likely to be victimized again.
When we talk about harm reduction, we're not just talking about training staff and providing additional supplies and supports; we're also talking about a funding model that allows the staff to be adequately resourced so they can include harm reduction as part of their trauma response to women who are exceptionally vulnerable.