Addressing intimate partner violence: The Elana Fric Family Medicine Award

It is every woman’s right to live in safety and security in her home and community. Sadly, this is not always the case.

Violence against women – particularly intimate partner violence – is a major public and clinical health problem. According to the World Health Organization, one in three women globally experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime, mostly by an intimate partner. And since the outbreak of COVID-19, emerging evidence suggests that all forms of violence against women and girls has intensified.

In light of this ongoing crisis, the Department of Family and Community Medicine has created a new award, The Elana Fric Family Medicine Award for Leadership and Advocacy.

Dr. Fric was loved by her colleagues and respected by her patients. A gifted teacher, she was a much-admired DFCM faculty member until her death in December 2016, at the hands of her husband.

In her honour, this award will recognize an outstanding family physician working to address and prevent intimate partner violence in our communities.

Through her work, Dr. Fric was a passionate leader and a vocal advocate for improvements in our healthcare system. Prompted by the philanthropy of DFCM faculty members, this award is a tribute to Dr. Fric’s life, and the lives of the many women we have lost to intimate partner violence.

If you would like to contribute to The Elana Fric Family Medicine Award for Leadership and Advocacy, donations are gratefully accepted. Award application requirements and timelines will be published in early 2021.

The Canadian Women’s Foundation provides support and support and resources that may be helpful for those in an unsafe situation at home, including ‘Signal for Help’ a one-handed sign to silently show a person needs help.

Image: Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect! A United Nations campaign to end violence against women.