We are Samantha and Stéphanie, two social entrepreneurs deeply aware of our privileges. Born into favorable contexts, with access to quality education, we recognize that this is not the case for many women worldwide. Our mission is to transform systems marked by racism, colonialism, and patriarchy by amplifying collaboration and building a more just and equitable world.

During this period of awareness around violence against women, we affirm our responsibility to break the silence and transform the collective inertia surrounding this societal issue. Violence against women is a grim reality that is still insufficiently addressed: 1 in 3 women experiences violence in her lifetime (WHO); 1 in 5 people has been a victim of incest (Le Berceau des Dominations, Dorothée Bussy, 2021).

Behind these statistics lie deeply personal, often invisible, stories like ours.

• Samantha began sharing her story of an assault that shaped her journey at the launch of her book Going Horizontal. Her story includes a courageous act that contextualizes her commitment to agency and shared leadership.
• Stéphanie, for the first time, speaks publicly to challenge a common narrative: after experiencing an assault on a street in Montreal, she internalized the idea that she was at fault.

As with many others, these assaults were not isolated events. Other physical and psychological violence, often occurring in spaces presumed safe (work, sports, education), have marked our paths, as they have for countless other women.

Violence against women is rooted in social norms and systems of domination that normalize and perpetuate it. Preventing and dismantling these systems requires systematic efforts at every level: individual, relational, community, and societal.

Our Call to Action

Today, we are speaking out for those who cannot. And we invite you—our partners and clients—to act with us. Together, we can break the cycle of violence by integrating practices that foster a safer and more equitable world. Here’s how:

1. Adopt healthy governance practices: Base your organizations on principles of empowerment and shared governance.
2. Build respectful collaboration: Incorporate practices that promote healthy communication and mutual respect (La Chicanerie/Conflict Cafe).
3. Raise awareness about biases and social norms: Use tools like our game L’écoute Courageuse (Listen For) to deconstruct oppressive patterns.
4. Create safe spaces: Foster environments free from violence where dialogue is encouraged (Circle Practice).
5. Engage your staff in the community: Value your teams’ contributions to initiatives that promote an equitable society.
6. Demand exemplary practices from your partners: Work only with suppliers and partners aligned with these values.
7. Integrate trauma-sensitive approaches: Adopt collaborative practices that consider the realities of trauma, including commitments aligned with Indigenous rights (Percolab’s Truth and Reconciliation Pledge).

Join Us

Do you want to strengthen your efforts to combat violence against women? Are you looking to build an organization aligned with your values of justice and equity? Contact us to co-create sustainable solutions.