Community Healing, Dialogue, and Action to End Gender-Based Violence
Fabric of Change is a community-based initiative that centres femicide as an urgent and preventable crisis in Ottawa. Developed in response to ongoing femicides, the project creates space for collective reflection, healing, and learning about gender-based violence (GBV).
Through facilitated dialogue and art-based engagement, participants are invited to explore how GBV shows up in our communities and systems, and what collective responsibility and prevention can look like in practice. The project uses quilt-making as a tool for storytelling, awareness, and connection—bringing together individual voices into a shared call for change.
Who is Fabric of Change for?
Fabric of Change is open to community members of all genders, with a particular focus on engaging men and boys in conversations about accountability, prevention, and care.
Sessions are designed to be accessible and welcoming for:
Community members and residents
Service providers and frontline workers
Youth, men, and boys
Anyone interested in learning, reflecting, and taking action to prevent GBV
No prior experience with art is required.
What will we do together?
During a Fabric of Change session, participants will:
Take part in guided conversations about femicide and gender-based violence
Learn through shared reflection and community dialogue
Create a textile square using fabric, words, symbols, statistics, or messages of hope
Contribute their square to a collective quilt, representing shared commitment to prevention and community care
The quilt serves as both an educational tool and a visual reminder that ending violence requires collective effort, accountability, and sustained action.
Fabric of Change is a community-based initiative developed by OCTEVAW and made possible with support from United Way East Ontario.
