Did you know that more than 4 in 10 women experience abuse from an intimate partner—and rates of abuse are on the rise? Did you know that there’s an easily recognizable hand signal someone can use to silently tell you they’re facing violence and need your help? Many of us are unaware of it, so how can you help someone if you don’t know what situation they’re in?

At The Walrus Talks Gender-Based Violence, presented by the Canadian Women’s Foundation, speakers discuss how we can change a culture that doesn’t have a good track record of supporting abuse survivors or even of talking about the abuse women, girls, and two-spirit, trans, and non-binary people face. This abuse impacts more people than we realize, but it’s often hidden behind closed doors and people may not be safe enough to say a word about it.

At the event, speakers ask urgent questions: How can we dispel the myths about who faces and perpetrates this violence and what stops it? What is the role and responsibilities of workplaces in helping employees dealing with gender-based violence? With the climate crisis and other shakeups leading to a rise in abuse here and around the world—and with the proliferation of digital hate and harassment—how can we safeguard ourselves and each other?

We can all be allies to abuse survivors and agents of safety and care from the ground up. Join us in Toronto or online to find out how.