The Rowan House Society in High River is responding to the UCP government's introduction of Bill 17.

The bill dictates that women should be able to access their partner's history of domestic violence. Also known as Clare's Law, the bill is named for a woman from the UK who was killed by her partner.

"The fact that the government has stepped up and said that domestic violence is an issue, and is recognizing the seriousness of it is super important," said Timmi Shorr, the Chief Operating Officer of Rowan House.

While the details still need to be ironed out, a release from Rowan House "applauds" the government for the bill, says this is a great first step for dealing with domestic violence.

Shorr says Rowan House prefers to focus on preventative education.

"The women who would need access to this bill and have this information might not even realize they're being abused," she said. "So when you look at teaching them at a young age what healthy relationships look like, and what red flags to watch for, it helps prevent this abuse in the first place."

With the announcement of Bill 17, the hope for Rowan House is this helps continue the conversation for Albertans across the province.

"I think the big thing is the fact that we feel comfortable to start talking about this, to recognize it is a problem," Shorr said. "I know a lot of time in rural areas people think, 'well it doesn't happen out here.' But it sure does, we see that every day."

Shorr cited an increase in calls and admissions at Rowan House in 2018 and 2019.

"(Domestic violence) continues to grow and we need to make sure we're talking about it, and finding different, innovative ways to solve this issue."

 

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