Our Mission

The Help Center Fighting Against Sexual Assault (CALACS) of Eastearn Townships is a feminist organization working with women (age 12+) who were sexually assaulted and their relatives. The Center offers direct support, prevention, education and awareness services. We also participate and initiate political actions and advocacy.

* CALACS works with victims of sexual assault, whether the event is recent or not. You do not have to initiate legal proceedings to have access to the services. The decision to report is yours only.

Our History

The very first Sexual Assault Center for women in Quebec was opened in 1975, in Montreal, following the feminist movement in the 70’s. In 1977, L’Association Canadienne des Centre Contre le Viol (Canadian association for centers against sexual assaults) started. Then, during the summer of 1978 in the Eastern Townships, Madeleine Lacombe, a woman who teaches Wendo (self-defense), created, with the help of other womens, a center for victims of sexual assault. After many conferences, she realized that the police as well as the hospitals in the area were not sufficiently equipped and adapted to give services to womens who had been sexually assaulted. After 30 years of existence, CALACS wanted to expand and give services to people outside Sherbrooke. With the help of the Agence de santé et de services sociaux de l’Estrie (ASSSE) we were able to enlarge our clientele with the 7 different Eastern townships regions.

In fact, year after year, CALACS has been able to make itself known in the community by being present in the media and by creating partnerships with other organizations, as well as in the medical, juridical and academic field.

Timeline

1975

Opening of the first Center for Sexual Assault in Montreal, the initiative of the Quebec feminist movement of the 1970s. In a short time, six other Centers were created.

1977

The Canadian Association of Centers Against Rape (ACCCV) takes root in Canada.

Summer 1978

In the Eastern Townships, creation of the Centre d’Aide aux Victimes de Violence in Sherbrooke, by Madeleine Lacombe and a few womens from the community, a resource providing better response to the reality of women victims of sexual assault.

1979

Creation of Quebec Association of CALACS (RQ CALACS).

The Center becomes the Center for help and fight against sexual assault in Sherbrooke (CALACS).

2002

Establishment of three activity sectors in the action (prevention / sensibilization, intervention and management)

2009

30 years of CALACS

2010

Massive restructuring of the organization

2017

CALACS begins research with victims of sexual exploitation to draw a portrait in the Eastern Townships. A census on the knowledge of the population and interveners is also targeted in this project.

2024

45 years of CALACS

Who are we?

We identify ourselves as workers, womens, activists and feminists, but we are first of all womens working WITH womens. We consider that what is private is political and that sexual assault is not only an individual’s problem. Indeed, it starts from a problem in our society. Therefore, our objective is to take part in the Eastern Townships community in order to take action on the social and political components of violence against womens.

Our values

Our values are present in our interventions, in our interactions with our team and with our different partners as well as in our attitudes towards ourselves.

Equality
Equity Respect Social
Justice Liberty Solidarity

Our approach

Our intervention is guided by the feminist approach which prioritizes egalitarian relationships and values women’s perspectives. In addition, this approach perceives sexual assault as a social and political problem. Therefore, our intervention is focused on removing feelings of guilt and responsibility that women experience, which also enables womens to regain power in their life and in society.

Our intervention

We use a feminist intervention style that is also used with tools such as « the courage to heal » and « radical therapy ».

Our intervention consists in individual counseling, group counseling and offers the opportunity for social implication. The feminist intervener will therefore center her intervention on the woman’s needs and how she perceives her recovery. Finally, we value the woman’s autonomy, assertiveness and self-esteem as much as possible throughout our intervention.

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