RISE UP! THE STORY OF VANCOUVER RAPE RELIEF AND WOMEN’S SHELTER
Welcome to Rise Up! The Story of Vancouver Rape Relief, a four-part series about one of Canada’s most groundbreaking feminist movements. Fierce working-class feminist advocate, Lee Lakeman, tells the story of Canada’s oldest rape crisis centre, the uprising of women there, and their decades long battle to stay women-only.
In this first episode, we go back to the 1970s, a time when violence against women was ignored, and survivors had nowhere to turn.
A small group of women in Vancouver decided to change that. Meeting in kitchens and community spaces, they launched one of Canada’s first rape crisis helplines—giving survivors a voice and demanding real change. But they didn’t stop there. They organised protests, confronted authorities, and built a movement that would shape the fight against gender-based violence.
It wasn’t easy. They faced pushback from the system, funding challenges, and even internal debates. But their determination turned a grassroots effort into a force that still fights for women’s safety and justice today.
Brought to you by Julie Bindel and the Vancouver Lesbian Collective.
Producer: Samantha Smith
Artwork: Nicole Jones
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