Access to Responsive Justice  is seeking Indigenous, Black and People of Colour who have been impacted by gender-based violence to help guide its research.

Hosted by the Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity (CGSHE) in partnership with community organizations, Access to Responsive Justice is a University of British Columbia community-based research project. Drawing on intersectional feminist participatory-action research, it aims  to document survivors’ experiences, as well as the stigma and discrimination they face in accessing criminal justice, including whether to report to authorities. It will also explore strategies that survivors use to navigate journeys of healing, support and justice, in particular restorative justice.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has only amplified disparities and racism in access to responsive justice for Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities, as well as criminalized populations.” ~ Dr. Brittany Bingham

By hosting bi-monthly working groups, the project team will ensure that diverse voices inform survivor-led recommendations for more responsive justice for women, non-binary and Two-Spirit survivors of gender-based violence in British Columbia, including Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities; LGBTQ/2S, immigrant and refugee communities; and criminalized communities, such as sex workers and people who use drugs.

The Indigenous Voices Working Group and the Black & POC Working Group will guide Access to Responsive Justice in ways that reflect the interests of the communities represented in the research. “We know that the COVID-19 pandemic has only amplified disparities and racism in access to responsive justice for Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities, as well as criminalized populations,” said Indigenous Lead Dr. Brittany Bingham, UBC Assistant Professor and CGSHE Director of Indigenous Research. Dr. Bingham is co-Principal Investigator of the project along with Dr. Kate Shannon, UBC Professor of Medicine and Canada Research Chair in Gender Equity, Sexual Health & Global Policy.

People who identify as First Nations Métis or Inuit are invited to join the Indigenous Voices Working Group. Those who identify as Black or as a person of colour, including Asian, Latinx or Arab are invited to join the Black & POC Working Group. The study is also interested in hearing from people who have lived or live in poverty and those who have experienced incarceration. All participants will receive an honorarium.

“In an era of global and domestic calls to defund the police, it is imperative to explore, develop, and support alternative, non-carceral approaches to justice,” said Ritica Ramesh, UBC Project Coordinator at CGSHE.

To participate in an Access to Responsive Justice working group or for more information, contact Ritica Ramesh. Learn more about the Indigenous Voices Working Group here and the Black & POC Working Group here.