The Community Leadership and Action Project (CLAP) is a 3-year project funded by Status of Women Canada that aims to build community capacity to address violence against women in culturally appropriate ways. It works with immigrant and refugee women leaders to develop community-based projects in their communities. Over 3 years, 7 women leaders received training, researched issues in their communities, and implemented projects to address violence against women through workshops and resources. CLAP takes a ground-up approach, is easily adaptable, and strengthens partnerships between communities and organizations.

1. Community Leadership and
Action Project
2008-2011
Immigrant and Refugee Women Program, Springtide Resources

2. What is CLAP?
• The Community Leadership and Action Project is three-
year project funded by the Status of Women Canada in
the Immigrant and Refugee Women Program
• CLAP is aimed to build community capacity to
implement a range of culturally and linguistically
appropriate responses to violence against women.
• Through this project, participants will be encouraged to
develop innovative ways of addressing violence with
the goal of creating community sustainability.

3. What is the issue?
• While increasing understanding and awareness of
violence against newcomer, immigrant and
refugee women is important, the need to move
beyond education to active community
participation has been identified by a range of
stakeholders.
• CLAP is built and based on women’s integral
involvement and participation. Emerging and
existing leaders from various communities will be
identified

4. • We worked with 7 amazing women who self-
identified as newcomer, immigrant or refugee
women to become Community Leaders (CL).
• Each CL identified a community that they
identified with, whether that is cultural,
geographical, linguistic, religious, or age group.
They developed a community-based project that
addressed violence against women in their
communities.

5. Activities: Year 1
• Outreach
• Information sessions for interested
participants
• Interviews
• Recruitment

6. Year 1
• Identified how the issue of violence against
women affects their communities
• Identified needs and gaps in services,
resources, and information delivery

7. Year 1
• Identified key partners in the community
(health centres, community centres, churches,
etc..)
• Developed a community-based project that
addresses violence against women in their
communities

8. Year 1
• The 7 Community Leaders were gathered in
focus groups to determine the areas they
wanted training on
• This process allowed us to identify the needs
of the group, as well as their skills and
strengths
• The training responded to the needs identified
by the CLs

9. Activities: Year 2
• Community Leaders received training on
Anti-Oppression
Violence Against Women
Facilitation
Community Development
Working with Groups
Workshop Development
Resource Building

10. Year 2
• Research on what is currently being done in
the community
• Who will be the participants in their projects
• Projects were revised and finalized
• CLs were supported in attending additional
training and learning opportunities from the
community

11. Year 2
• Contacted potential partners and made
connections for space, resources, potential
participants
• Conducted focus groups in their communities
to identify specific needs (in Spanish, Bengali,
and English)

12. Activities: Year 3
• Workshop planning and resource
development (translation, etc)
• Arranging logistics (accessible space, on-site
childcare, kitchens, food, etc)
• Project delivery (facilitation, arranging guest
speakers, etc)

13. Year 3
• Individual project Evaluations
• Identify potential new partnerships
• Research on next steps/next phase
• Individual reporting
• Overall project evaluation

14. CLAP: The Model
Innovative Highlights
• Developed new community partnerships
• Increased understanding of different
immigrant communities
• Created culturally and linguistically
appropriate resources for the community
• Developed approaches on how to talk about
violence against women

15. CLAP: The Model
Innovative Highlights
• Redefined leadership and skill building
• Used a ground-up approach to community
development
• Created opportunities for continuity and
information sharing
• Achieved trust-building and stronger
community partnerships

16. CLAP: The Model
Innovative Highlights
• Provided an opportunity to integrate anti-
violence against women work in different sectors,
such as in housing, food security, settlement,
religion, youth, etc
• Recognizes different communities have different
needs
• Worked directly with those impacted by violence
• Allowed for new and innovative collaborations

17. CLAP: The Model
Additional Strengths
• Easily adaptable to different sectors
• Redefines the term ‘volunteer’
• Flexible and responds to different strengths of
participants
• Truly community-based and community-
focused

18. Acknowledgments
Thank you to all the community partners
who supported the Community Leaders in
their projects.
Thank you to Status of Women Canada for
funding this amazing and innovative project
for Springtide Resources.