The province-wide Neighbours, Friends and Families public education campaign is designed to help individuals recognize the signs of violence against women and know what action to take.

The Neighbours, Friends and Families public education campaign is part of the government’s Domestic Violence Action Plan, which places emphasis on prevention and better community supports for abused women and their children.

The campaign is increasing the ability of neighbours, friends and families to identify abuse or women at risk of abuse and to help them understand what to do. It includes:

• Two English and French public service announcements
• A comprehensive community kit, including brochures and wallet cards, which are available to community organizations across Ontario to help them provide workshops and meetings to mobilize communities to take action
• Brochures and wallet cards in 12 languages in addition to English and French
• A website, www.neighboursfriendsandfamilies.ca, featuring all of the campaign information
• An Aboriginal adaptation of the campaign, developed by and for Aboriginal peoples, will be available soon.

The Neighbours, Friends and Families campaign is a partnership between the Ontario government and the Expert Panel on Neighbours, Friends and Families, through the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children. The Expert Panel has members from across the province.