PREVENTING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Released on November 30, 2001

Reducing violence against women by raising awareness--that's the focus of

Hot Peach Pages Week, November 30th to December 6th.



The Abuse Help Lines Page is in all SaskTel telephone directories. Women

in abusive situations now have a place to access information the page

provides information on abuse and where to go for help.



"The Provincial Association of Transition Houses of Saskatchewan (PATHS)

and SaskTel partnered to provide this information, but women need to know

the page exists in order for them to use it when they need it," Minister

Responsible for the Status of Women Judy Junor said. "That's why promoting

awareness about the page is important during this week."



"Women in abusive situations often times don't know where to go for help,"

PATHS Co-ordinator Virginia Fisher said. "They can't keep information on

crisis services or abuse because the abuser may find it the Hot Peach Pages

is an easily accessible resource for these women. Each day of Hot Peach

Pages Week, we'd like everyone who knows about the page to tell someone who

doesn't."



The project fits in with SaskTel's social cause of prevention of child

abuse, as selected by SaskTel employees. The page is on the inside of the

Emergency Service guide found near the front of telephone directory.



PATHS also has a Web site dedicated to offering information on abuse

www.hotpeachpages.org offers information for a wide range of audiences.



The last day of the week falls on a tragic anniversary. Fourteen women

were murdered at L'Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal on December 6th, 1989.

Communities across Canada hold vigils to commemorate these women and other

women who have experienced violence.



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For more information, contact:



Neena Saxena Virginia Fisher

Women's Secretariat PATHS

Regina Saskatoon

Phone: (306) 787-7012 Phone: (306) 978-6654