Cellphone donations 'fantastic leadership,' say P.E.I. women's shelters

With in-person communications curtailed in the COVID-19 pandemic, this was a particularly good time for Rogers to donate cellphones and plans to women's shelters, say the co-ordinators of shelters on P.E.I.

Anderson House in Charlottetown and Chief Mary Bernard Memorial  Women'sShelter on Lennox Island both received phones to provide to women in need as part of a national program from Rogers.

"It's fantastic leadership in the fight against family violence," said Danya O'Malley, executive director of P.E.I. Family Violence Prevention Services, which operates Anderson House.

Nikki Gallant at Chief Mary Bernard shelter said they have handed out three phones and asked Rogers for three more, which they readily provided.

Gallant said it's not uncommon for women to come to the shelter without a phone.

"I think maybe due to being a rural shelter, people can't stay in contact with their families," she said.

Keeping cellphones from women is often part of a strategy by an abusive partner, said O'Malley.

"We've even had cases where people have their phones broken. Their abusive partner might break their phone as a means of punishing them or isolating them," she said.

"Isolation is a big problem that you often see when there is abuse, because it works for the abuser to have the victim cut off from either loved ones or services. It's often a feature of unhealthy relationships."

The phones can be used to keep in touch with family and friends, and also to reach support services after women leave the shelters.

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