abuser.

“One thing I’ve learned about
family violence,”” says McKenzie,
who was appointed executive
director of North Shore  Com-
munity Services in September, ‘‘i

that people justify abuse. They . ,

don’t like to think of. themselves
as bad. :

“Men will say, "She made me
do it,” or ‘She uses her voice as a
2veapon.”: I think the only way

we're going to do anything about
‘violence -in society is to take re-
. sponsibility and realize that we all
-have-the. capacity. to -be violent,

.that-we.all have the capacity to be .

ictims.?* -:
As.a-“member.of the B. c. task
force.on family violence, McKen-

; has- been travelling the pro-

. vincespeaking out against abuse
~ and” ‘educating victims about their

= legal rights: .

: She .says she:. was. shocked to
discover: that more than half the
family calls “to. North . Shore
Community: Services’ legal infor-

” mation service — a program she
created in 1982 were
response to :family violence .—
women who.are being beaten by

their partners. /

Whether the violence is increas-
ing. is difficult to gauge. 7
“We: don’t: know if, wife: ‘assault

‘is “get ing. worse.or if women are. -:

more. open to getting help,”’
“Women have. always

; sues... However, I
“suspect it’ ‘Ss always been a very real

"Ws: important that ali women
| be;-aware ‘of the legal options
available: to ‘them, ‘and that’s
where: the: North Shore Communi-
ty. Servicescomes in. Under the
Bt idance ‘of. a lawyer and an advi-
“sory: committee, the agency pro-
vides. counselling on a range of
’ “issues including family law.

_Jiist: knowing that a woman has
the <choice to charge an abusive
partner under B.C.’s wife assault
policy: brings an incredible sense

_ Of. relief. to the victim, says
McKenzie.

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in.
~ for their actions.

HIGH PROFILES
Helping people gain control of their lives

Pearl McKenzie of North
Shere Community Services

PEARL MCKENZIE has fought on the front lines in the
war against violence against women for over a decade.
She’s heard many heart-wrenching stories, but in all those
‘years, she has never once received a plea for help from an

By Evelyn Jacob
News Reporter
to

While most people tend

associate violence against women |

with younger women, elder abuse
is more common than we think.

As someone with a strong un-
derstanding of neglect. and abuse
of elders,, McKenzie was recently
invited to join a committee to ad-
vise the federal panel on _ violence
against women.

It worries her that a growing
number of elders are being sub-
jected to abuse and that society’s
unwillingness to acknowledge this
mistreatment has kept the problem
virtually hidden.

- Over the past two years North

Shore Community Services has

received about five calls a month
for help from elderly women who
are being abused by their children
or partners.

McKenzie says the abuser will
use “every excuse in the book”

‘**She doesn’t need much
money, she never goes out,”’ is a
familiar refrain she hears from
distraught seniors who have been

_Cheated by their children.

‘Elder abuse can also include
physical acts of violence. One.
growing area of concern is the
physical. abuse of elderly care-
givers by their partners. .

‘“*We have some really. terrible,

’ terrible cases coming, in, and with

Convention
Ceater

Westlake Center

Fisherman's
Tenninal
e

Opera House’
©

NAME: Peart McKenzie

BORN: Saskatchewan
RESIDENCE: North Vancouver
OCCUPATION: Executive direc-
tor, North Shore Community Ser-
vices

EDUCATION: <ap College grad
FAMILY: Two daughters

elderly women and their frail
bones, their lives are often on the
Hine,’’ she says.

“These worien fee! responsible
to look after their partner because
he’s sick, even though they are
often old and sick themselves.

“But if it’s a man who is look-
ing after a sick wife, you'll often
hear peopie say, ‘Oh, poor Joey.
Pll go over and make dinner for
him.’ ”’

Discrimation against older
women is another issue McKenzie
is fighting hard to change.

The stress a woman experiences
after an abusive encounter is gen-
erally regarded as a normal
response, but when stress or fear
causes an elderly woman to forget
information she is labelled in-
competent. ‘

McKenzie wants to change
B.C.’s Guardianship laws which
do not currently provide for elders
who are capable of making deci-
sions in some areas, but not in
others; a person is judged either
competent or incompetent.

“When I was at home with my
children I had less ability to do
some things that £ am quite
capable of doing now,’’ McKenzie
points out. “The law makes it
very difficult for us to do dassess-
ments.””

McKenzie, who was just award-
ed North Vancouver
Distinguished Citizen Award for
her contribution to the communi-
ty, says her work has never
become depressing. If anything,

_District’s -

PEARL MCKENZIE, executive director of North Shore Coni unity
Services, has won North Vancouver District’s. Distinguished Citt-
zen Award for her work with women, children, the otderty and:

the stories she hears make her
angry and that makes her want to
work even harder.

“ve got such a practical job,”
she says smiling, “‘helping people

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make. change in they want. to.
People get depressed when: they
feel helpless. The worst’ stress’ is:
when you think you: don’t have
any control.’’

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