Amelia Runchey of the Womyn’s Centre models one of the purple scarves it is selling to benefit Hiatus House.Amelia Runchey of the Womyn’s Centre models one of the purple scarves it is selling to benefit Hiatus House.

Scarf sale shines a light on abused women

The UWindsor Womyn’s Centre is selling purple scarves to raise funds for the Hiatus House, a local shelter for women victims of domestic violence and their children.

The sale will continue throughout November to commemorate the “Shine the Light on Woman Abuse” campaign, which started in 2010 to raise awareness about domestic violence.

Amelia Runchey, public relations co-ordinator for the Womyn’s Centre, says that the centre has supported the Hiatus House in the past.

“We’d like to raise as much money for Hiatus House as we can,” says Runchey.

She hopes the sale will help to educate the community on the issue of gender violence.

“There’s an idea that this kind of thing doesn’t exist anymore because it goes often unnoticed,” says Runchey. “It’s important to remind people that unfortunately, gender-based violence exists.”

The centre will sell the scarves for $15 apiece from a table in the CAW Student Centre Commons from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on November 9, 17, 23 and 27. Volunteers will also sell scarves at its office from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more info, visit the Womyn’s Centre’s Facebook page.

—article and photo by Loren Mastracci