Downtown Eastside Women'S Centre

The mission of the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre (DEWC) is to provide a safe, non-judgmental, low-barrier environment for women (cis, trans), two-spirit and gender diverse people from all walks of life, who live and/or work in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. To achieve this goal, DEWC provides support by serving meals, crisis response, advocacy and outreach programs which nurture and empower the approximately 900 people who access our services every day. Founded in 1978, DEWC is one of the few safe spaces within the Downtown Eastside exclusively for all women, their children and gender diverse folks. High levels of violence, homelessness, addiction, and poverty disproportionately affect the Downtown Eastside community. The people who access our services are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, injustice, and injury. Located in one of Canada's most marginalized communities, DEWC assists women and gender diverse people with their immediate needs to they can develop stability and access resources they need to improve health, family, employment, and housing situations. We promote positive change by offering individual long-term support, advocacy, peer mentorship, and access to alternatives.