Awards & Recognition

Respectful Relationships is a national award-winning primary violence prevention program. It has received both provincial and national awards and has shown through extensive evaluation that it truly is a ‘best practice’ in the field of school-based violence prevention.

In 2020, the Respectful Relationships program received the BC School Superintendents’ Association Award of Recognition for the program’s contribution to public education.

The program was also awarded a Women’s Safety Award in 2020, under the auspices of Femmes et Villes in Montreal and Status of Women Canada. This was one of twelve awards given out to projects across Canada, chosen by an independent international jury.

The Respectful Relationships project was honoured in 2020 with recognition from the BC Minister of Education for School Board Innovation – Violence Prevention Through Education Award.

SWOVA’s Executive Director Lynda Laushway was honored by The Women of Distinction Awards Council and the YM-YWCA of Greater Victoria with the 2020 Education Training & Development Award. Ms. Laushway also received the Regional Awareness and Promotion Award 2020 for outstanding contribution towards crime prevention and community safety in British Columbia from the Ministry of Attorney General.

In 2020, SWOVA’s Respectful Relationships (R+R) program was cited by United Nations Habitat as a Good Practice in youth violence prevention, as part of world-wide Best Practices to Improve the living environment.

SWOVA has also received an endorsement from UNICEF Canada.

Read what others have to say about SWOVA, here