Join us on Wednesday, July 15th, as the AVA Webinar Series presents Three decades of impact: The FREDA Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children, featuring Dr. Sarah Yercich and Dr. Margaret Jackson from the FREDA Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children.
Wednesday, July 15th, 2026
12 – 1:30pm MST
The FREDA Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children has spent more than three decades advancing community-engaged research, education, and action to address violence against women, children, and gender-diverse people. Grounded in feminist and participatory action research, the Centre brings together researchers, service providers, advocates, community organizations, and people with lived experience to support meaningful social change and improved responses to violence.
This webinar will provide an overview of the FREDA Centre’s history, mission, and current work, highlighting how collaborative research can inform policy, strengthen services, and amplify the voices of those most affected by violence. Participants will learn about the Centre’s commitment to community-academic partnerships, its focus on addressing systemic inequities and intersecting forms of marginalization, and the role of knowledge mobilization in translating research into real-world impact. The webinar will also explore emerging priorities in violence prevention and response and discuss opportunities for future collaboration among researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and community members.
About the Speakers
Dr. Sarah Yercich (she/her) is an interdisciplinary researcher and activist focused on violence against women, children/youth, and gender diverse communities, as well as prison education and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Her expertise spans the disciplines of critical criminology, sociology, socio-legal studies, and women’s and gender studies. Sarah is Co-Director of the FREDA Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children. In addition to Sarah’s role at the FREDA Centre, she is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University and a full-time Instructor in the Departments of Criminology and Sociology at Capilano University. At Capilano University, Sarah holds a cross-appointment in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, where she currently serves as the Department Head. Sarah is part of the Alliance Against Violence and Adversity’s (AVA) Leadership Team, leads AVA’s webinar series, and is an AVA Early Career Researcher.
Dr. Margaret Jackson (she/her) is the founding Director of the FREDA Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children, current Co-Director of the FREDA Centre, a Professor Emerita in the School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University (SFU), and past Director of the Institute for Studies in Criminal Justice Policy at SFU. She was the principal investigator for a Federal Ministry of Justice study on child abuse. Other research areas of interest include criminal justice policy analysis, sociocultural factors impacting marginalized girls, problem-solving courts, and, most recently, bullying and cyberbullying. As Co-Director of FREDA, Margaret primarily focuses on research issues related to domestic violence and its impacts on women and children.