Laurier expert alert: Violence against women and gendered violence

Nov. 16, 2020
For Immediate Release

Waterloo – Wednesday, Nov. 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women; Dec. 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women; and Dec. 17 is the International Day to End Violence against Sex Workers. The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence begins on Nov. 25 and runs until Dec. 10, Human Rights Day.

Wilfrid Laurier University has several experts available to speak about topics related to gender-based violence.

Stacey Hannem, associate professor in the Department of Criminology, is an expert on the effects of crime on the lives of marginalized and vulnerable persons. She is currently conducting an international comparative study of the legal regulation of sex work in Canada, New Zealand, and Nevada, U.S. Her forthcoming book (co-authored with Christopher J. Schneider) is Sexual Misconduct and Media: Trump and the Weinstein Effect. Contact: 519.755.2053 or shannem@wlu.ca

Shoshana Pollack is a professor in the Faculty of Social Work and director of the Walls to Bridges Canada program, which brings incarcerated students and campus-enrolled students together to learn as classmates. She is an expert on violence against women, mental health, prisons, the criminalization of women and childhood abuse. Contact: spollack@wlu.ca

Eliana Barrios Suarez is an associate professor in the Faculty of Social Work and a social worker. She both researches and, in her practice, supports those affected by violence against women. She is an expert on trauma, resilience and gendered resistance against violence and injustice. Much of her research focuses on fostering community engagement to prevent sexual violence in the global South, particularly Peru. Contact: esuarez@wlu.ca

Andrew Welsh is an associate professor in the Department of Criminology and associate dean of the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences. He is an expert on the constructions of crime and justice in the media and popular culture and has studied how gender and violence are portrayed in films and on television. Contact: awelsh@wlu.ca