Tech Safety Canada

Tech-facilitated gender-based violence, or TFGBV, happens when someone uses technology to harm or control you.

It can look like harassing text or social media messages, restricting access to technology, non-consensually sharing intimate images, using location-tracking technology, or threatening to do any of these.

It can happen to anyone, but especially to women, children, and gender-diverse people. BIPOC, those with disabilities, and the 2SLGTBQIA+ community are disproportionately affected.

TFGBV is sometimes called tech abuse, online harassment, or digital violence.

Tech Safety Canada

Tech Safety Canada is a project of Women’s Shelters Canada. It equips shelter and transition house workers with the knowledge and resources they need to support women, children, and gender-diverse people with their experiences of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) by scaling up BC Society of Transition House’s existing Technology Safety Project. This work draws on the experience of partners from WESNET Australia and the National Network to End Domestic Violence in the United States.

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The Tech Safety Canada project will:

• Create and develop Canadian tech safety resources
• Launch a new Tech Safety Canada website to host these resources
• Train anti-violence workers across Canada about TFGBV
• Work with corporate partners in the technology and communications sector on corporate tech safety practices

According to Women’s Shelters Canada data from 2022, more than 96% of responding domestic violence shelters in Canada served women who had experienced TFGBV. This high level of violence has been corroborated by a BC Society of Transition Houses 2021 survey of anti-violence services, which found that 89% of responding anti-violence workers have supported women, children and youth who have experienced technology-facilitated gender-based violence.

Tech Safety Canada’s mission, vision, and core values align with those of Women’s Shelters Canada.

This two-year project is made possible by funding from the department of Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) Canada.

Contact Us

Please note that Tech Safety Canada is a national project of Women’s Shelters Canada and does not provide individual counselling, support, or residential services. If you or someone you know is experiencing violence, you can find your nearest women’s shelter and its crisis line on www.sheltersafe.ca.

Women’s Shelters Canada is located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

For project inquiries, please contact the Tech Safety Canada team at techsafety@endvaw.ca.

For media inquiries, please contact Kaitlin Geiger-Bardswich at kbardswich@endvaw.ca.