The Health Research Centre for the Study of Violence against Women is a multidisciplinary network of intersectional feminist and womanist researchers who engage in activities that address gender based violence and violence against all women and children, in partnership with community members and organizations; through conducting basic, action, and policy research, advocacy, disseminating results and suggesting policies and programs at all levels; with the goal of improving the health of cis-gender women, trans women, and gender diverse individuals by eliminating gender based violence and violence against all women and children.
The faculty members of HRCVAW mentor graduate student members wishing to pursue research in the area of violence against women and help make connections for these students across disciplines.
The Centre uses the following broad definition of violence against women and children:
“any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.” Included (but not limited to) is “physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, including battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household, dowry related violence, marital rape, female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women, non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation; physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring within the general community, including rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere; trafficking in women and forced prostitution; and physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by the state, wherever it occurs.” (Resolution No. A/RES/48/104)
United Nations (23 February 1994)
An Ontario Women's Health Council Career Award allowed University of Windsor Psychology Professor, Dr. Charlene Y. Senn, to establish a Health Research Centre for the Study of Violence Against Women in April 2005. This Centre acts as an intellectual home for many researchers and trainees with interests that include the causes of violence against women, its prevention and the rehabilitation of its effects.