Meagan Patterson, Canada
MPA student,
Class of 2017
Intern, Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women (OCTEVAW)
The Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women (OCTEVAW) is a group of organizations and individuals dedicated to ending violence against women. As an intern here, I have attended meetings to hear about the concerns of frontline members such as women abuse and rape crisis agencies, victim services, child protection services, hospital and police representatives, the government, probation and parole, and health and counselling services. During these meetings, we identify areas of concern, including gaps in available support and government responses, and design advocacy strategies to promote institutional reforms.
I am supporting the establishment of the first province-wide survey that will be conducted with police, frontline workers, and survivors of domestic violence on the impact and unintended consequences of "mandatory charging." This is the policy that requires police to initiate criminal proceedings against someone in domestic violence cases if they believe an offence has taken place, even if the victim does not want to press charges.
For approximately eight years OCTEVAW has been observing the domestic violence court in Ottawa. I am currently drafting the final report of the Court Watch program. The report includes a quantitative and qualitative analysis of how the justice system addresses cases of domestic violence by evaluating the culture in the courtroom. I am responsible for preparing recommendations on how to reform the program to make it more supportive of the needs of survivors.
Although I have worked on violence against women (VAW) issues before, this is the first time I have worked with a local organization in my home country of Canada. I have learned a lot during this internship about the systemic inequality that still exists in Canada and the institutional barriers that VAW advocates face. Thanks to the intersectional approach that OCTEVAW has adopted, I now have a much greater appreciation of how overlapping social and cultural identities interact with systems of oppression and how this remains largely ignored at the highest levels of public policy.
This internship has taught me a lot about the importance of prioritizing collaboration in all stages of policy making and project management. If this is not done from the outset, credibility and effectiveness are sacrificed. Anyone working on public policy is aware that policies can have unintended consequences, but consulting relevant stakeholders can mitigate a lot of avoidable harm.
When I'm not at work, you'll find me hiking in Gatineau Park, checking out new cafes and used bookstores, and catching up with friends on Parliament Hill.
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