Nova Vita Domestic Violence Prevention Services showed their support for survivors of gender-based violence with Wrapped in Courage flag raisings across the City of Brantford and the County of Brant on Tuesday, November 25, 2025.
Launched in 2013, the Wrapped in Courage campaign, with the support of gender-based violence services, engages local communities in Ontario throughout November to build awareness, connect survivors to services, and to call on decision-makers to advance meaningful social change.
To mark the start of the annual campaign, Nova Vita raised purple Wrapped in Courage flags at Harmony Square in Brantford, the Brantford Police station, the Brant OPP station and the County of Brant Council Chambers.
“We are gathering here today to raise the flag for Woman Abuse Prevention Month,” said Natasha Dobler, Executive Director of Nova Vita Brant. “To stand proudly with the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OWAITH) and their Wrapped in Courage campaign, to mark the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women, and to kick off the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. This flag is a symbol of courage, solidarity and hope.”
She said that at Nova Vita, they understand that behind every statistic is a person, a family, and a community that has been changed forever.
“In Brantford [and the County of Brant], intimate partner and gender-based violence is not an abstract issue. It is a current daily reality for many residents. Last year alone, Nova Vita answered 5,748 crisis and support calls and provided safe emergency shelter to 137 women and children,” explained Dobler. “Across Ontario, more than 40 femicides have devastated families, friends, neighbours, colleagues and communities, and we know that Indigenous, Black, 2SLGBTQIA+, immigrant, newcomer, women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals, as well as individuals with disabilities, are at greater risk of experiencing gender-based violence.”
Dobler went on to say that after several years of advocacy and over 106 municipalities across Ontario joining in the call to action, the provincial government has officially recognized intimate partner violence and sexual violence as endemic.
“Meaning that it is longstanding, pervasive, and systemic. This acknowledgement matters; it tells survivors, ‘we see you and we believe you.’ It tells communities that this is not a private issue, but a public crisis that demands collective action. And it is collective action that made it happen,” she said. “That’s why campaigns like Wrapped in Courage are so vital. The Purple Scarf is a call to action, to wrap survivors in the courage of our community, to remind them that they are not alone, and to commit ourselves to building a Brantford [and County of Brant] where every person can live free from violence.”
“Home should be a place of safety, dignity, and love, yet for too many homes is where violence begins,” continued Dobler. “At Nova Vita, we believe that by working together, through prevention, education, intervention, and support, that we can transform homes from places of harm, into places of healing. Today, as we raise this flag, we also raise our voices. We call for continued investment in shelters, crisis lines and prevention programs. We call for trauma-informed policies that recognize the intergenerational impact of violence, and we call for every resident of Brantford [and the County of Brant] to be part of the solution, whether by speaking out, supporting survivors or modeling healthy relationships.”
At both the County and the City’s flag raisings, the executive director thanked the various community leaders and staff for their continued support and their commitment to leadership through declarations, collaboration with community partners and funding.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
