The judicial system remains complex and often poorly adapted to the realities of survivors of violence. To address the issue, the Fédération des Maisons d’Hébergement pour Femmes (FMHF) focuses on training social workers and justice professionals to provide safer, more informed, and more humane support to the women and children that they advocate for.
Training to Better Support: The FMHF’s Sociolegal Approach
To date, the FMHF brings together 37 first-stage shelters and 19 second-stage shelters that support women survivors of violence and their children in Québec. Since 1987, the Federation has been working to defend their rights, raise awareness about all forms of gender-based violence, and train professionals and frontline workers through initiatives and programs like the Sociolegal Project.
This five-year project aims to improve access to justice for women victims of violence and their children by equipping professionals through two main components:
- One of their network’s shelter members ;
- One for sociolegal partners in Québec.
The Federation offers personalized legal support tailored to specific environments, enhanced expertise for shelter staff, and training sessions for judicial system actors to help them better understand women’s realities and provide adapted support.
Training judicial systems and shelter workers alone is not enough, it is equally essential to build networks and strengthen community connections to drive real, sustainable, and concrete systemic change. With this in mind, the FMHF is forging sociolegal partnerships with various organizations and institutions, while also working to align shelter services with those offered by Québec’s specialized court for sexual assault and domestic violence.
Valuable Training Based on Real-life Experience and Facts
In February 2025, the YWCA Montreal participated in one of the training sessions offered under the Sociolegal Project, titled “Better understanding the judicial process to better support women victims of violence.” This training is designed to evolve and improve over the course of the project, and its current format may change over time.
This free two-day training was developed by a lawyer and a social worker expert in supporting survivors. It is aimed at staff from shelters that are part of the FMHF network and who support women survivors involved in criminal proceedings.
A Comprehensive Content Designed to Better Meet the Needs
The first day of training focuses on the Family Law and Youth Protection Act. The second day is dedicated more specifically to criminal offences related to gender-based violence. In each area, the entire criminal justice process is explained before focusing on the key stages that social workers should prepare for:
- Police reporting;
- Testifying in court;
- Cross-examination.
The strength of this training: a practical and tangible response
The training includes guidance documents and official judicial materials compiled in a training booklet, allowing participants to familiarize themselves with key procedures. It also offers advice, practical tools, role-playing scenarios, and real-life examples—such as a simulated cross-examination or how to write progress notes that do not harm the women involved.
To learn more
Because the issue goes beyond the justice system, the FMHF offers several tools and resources on its website to help people become better allies in everyday life, intervene from a feminist and intersectional perspective, and support immigrant women:
- “Ally Movement” section: Video clips that explain how to become an ally in personal and professional life, along with initiatives that engage men in the fight against violence, such as the Allied Men’s Breakfast and the Cégep Tour.
- “Intersectional Feminist Intervention” section: Resources and guides to understand the continuum of violence and integrate intersectionality into intervention approaches.
- “Supporting Immigrant Women” section: Multilingual resources, advice, and awareness-raising tools designed to highlight the realities and needs of immigrants, racialized, and/or non-French-speaking women who may experience different forms of violence.
