Globally 81,000 women and girls were killed in 2020, and 58% of them died at the hands of an intimate partner or a family member. This is equal to a woman or girl being killed every 11 minutes. Did you know that in Canada one woman is killed in a violent act every 48 hours? The spike in domestic violence that began during the pandemic is not diminishing and instead continues to increase. In Canada, it has increased by 27% since 2019. In Israel, the situation is just as critical: in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, 20,140 domestic violence complaints were lodged with police, an increase of 12% from the previous year, and in 2022, the rate of femicide in Israel increased by 50%. In fact, 16 women have been murdered in the first five months of this year. Your support is critical. On August 22, we will launch an exciting 27-hour online crowdfunding campaign. Funds raised that day will be matched three more times by our loyal community of donors who we call our Matching Heroes.
Michal Sela Forum (MSF) - ISRAEL
Michal Sela Forum offers an innovative program, The Michal Sela Canines, which matches protection dogs with survivors to provide security for women and children impacted by domestic violence. It’s the first program of its kind in Israel. It has proven effective at empowering and supporting survivors when leaving home by providing them with a specially trained protection dog that can give them guidance, confidence assessing public spaces, leading their owner, and offering protection. Victims can get their life back on track with a new sense of security. This is a highly impactful program that saves lives and costs a fraction of what it would cost to keep a woman at a domestic abuse shelter for several months. The fund will provide all specialized security training and tailored programs for each survivor, as well as ongoing follow-up, veterinary service, and care for the dog. By the end of 2023, 12 women and 48 children will be protected by this program. Learn more in the below video:
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