On October 16, 2015, men throughout Canada are asked to take part in the ritual of fasting to pledge their support to end violence against Aboriginal women and children. Men are invited to fast - refrain from eating and drinking - from sun up until sun down. Following the fast, men are encouraged to share a meal with their families, friends or co-workers to acknowledge their commitment to stop abuse and share their fasting experience.

While the campaign aims to end violence against all women and children, Aboriginal women are three times more likely to experience violence and be assaulted by their partner than non-Aboriginal women. Founded by Paul Lacerte of the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, the Moose Hide Campaign recognizes the vast majority of those responsible for violence are men, and encourages men to serve as role models. Violence against women is unacceptable and everyone is responsible for ending abuse.

If you aren’t able to take part in the fast, please help raise awareness for the Moose Hide Campaign on sites such as Facebook and Twitter by using the hashtags, #Oct16Fast, #endviolence, and #moosehidecampaign.

The Moose Hide Campaign and its national fast aligns with the Violence Free BC strategy, a long-term commitment made by government to end violence against women. This year, the Province announced $5 million in civil forfeiture grants for over 220 projects throughout B.C. to support anti-violence and crime prevention initiatives, with a focus on those that address violence against women.

For details on how to take part in the fast, please visit: http://moosehidecampaign.ca/index.php/events