Margaret Cragg Award

Purpose: To provide financial assistance to a MSW student who is studying in the area of violence against women (battering, rape, sexual, harassment, elder abuse, economic violence) and/or children (physical, sexual, emotional abuse of children by parents/guardians or by persons and institutions charged with their education, care and welfare), areas that are frequently called family or domestic violence or people living in high risk/disadvantaged environments.

Conditions: Earnings from the fund will be used to support one or more annual awards for a graduate student(s) enrolled in the School of Social Work, Dalhousie University, who are studying in the area of violence against women and/or children, or people living in high risk/disadvantaged environments.

The earnings available on an annual basis will be determined by the Endowment Management Policy as approved by the Board of Governors of the University.

The study may be in the form of a thesis, study or field project for which an analytical report is required. Violence against women will be interpreted broadly as physical, sexual, emotional and economic abuse and will include research, education and field projects designed to prevent the problem, and to understand particular manifestations such as violence against women from visible minorities, women with disabilities, immigrant women or rural women. High-risk environments include socio-environment risk conditions, such as poverty, lack of affordable housing or access to food, low education or occupational status, dangerous/stressful work, discrimination, violence, low political or economic power, large gaps in income/powers. (City of Toronto. Department of Public Health, 1993, p.3)

If in any given year there are no graduate students in Social Work who qualify for the award, the earnings will be added to the capital of the fund.

The recipients will be individuals who, in the judgment of the committee meet the criteria, and will successfully complete the proposed work.

Funded by: Margaret Cragg, her family, friends and others interested in the study of violence against women and/or children.

Application Procedure: Submit your curriculum vitae, transcript, the names of three academic and professional references and a cover letter with a brief description of the work that you propose to do in the area of violence or high risk environments to the address listed below. Further information may be required by the committees reviewing the applications.

Director, C/O Linda Power
School of Social Work
Dalhousie University
Suite 3201-1459 LeMarchant Street
P.O. Box 15000
Halifax, NS B3H 4R2

Deadline: October 15th annually

Awarding body: The faculty of the School of Social Work or the body designated within the school to select candidates for graduate awards.

Background: Margaret M. Cragg was born and educated in Halifax. She became a registered nurse, and during her career worked at the Halifax Infirmary, and the Dalhousie Public Health Clinic. From 1970 until her retirement in 1980 she was a member of the Dalhousie Medical School. A pioneer in the movement against violence toward women, Margaret Cragg helped establish the Comprehensive Health Care Program at Dalhousie. This innovative teaching program in primary health care was aimed at 30 or more medical students and some nursing and social work students. Her dedication to the well-being of patients and students was a major factor in the success of the program. She was a pioneer in the practice of preventative, interdisciplinary health care. Active in the community, she worked towards the establishment and later the maintenance of Bryony House, the first transition house for battered women in Nova Scotia. Throughout her career she worked to educate the public about the problem of violence toward women.