Partnerships and Innovations in Women’s Shelters: a Transnational Exploration

This co-presentation with Combine and Women’s Shelters Canada (WSC) will discuss the context of the violence against women (VAW) sector and emerging partnerships in their respective countries. Combine is a new Dutch model combining four independent organizations who are working towards an innovation agenda without creating a new organization. Blijf Groep, Moviera, Arosa and Perspektief joined forces with the aim of improving their services and becoming more effective. In the presentation they reflect on the importance of continuous innovation of working methods, organization structures, and strategic operational partnership in relation to ever-changing local contexts. Women’s Shelters Canada, a national network of VAW shelters, will share findings from their 2017/2018 pan-Canadian survey on women’s shelters. This was the first Canadian inquiry of its kind developed by and for the VAW sector. Drawing on this context, WSC will highlight three partnerships and innovations the network has successfully developed in the private and public sector and with individual shelters. Together both groups with share their experiences, successes, and pitfalls and will engage with the session participants on the question of what innovation means to them, how they organize in the VAW sector, and what conditions are necessary for these innovations and partnerships to be successful.