Rina Arseneault is a Canadian

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...

er, researcher, activist, and educator. She is the associate director at the University of New Brunswick’s Murial McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research. In 2013, Arseneault was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada.

Early life and education

Arseneault was born in New Brunswick, Canada, as one of 14 children. She was often treated differently than her brothers and faced gender discrimination from her father, who wanted her to end her education after grade 10. Arseneault was forced to leave home and she negotiated with an elderly neighbour who allowed her to live with her if she took care of the housework. Arseneault earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master's degree in psychology from the Université de Moncton, while also working as an psychiatric attendant at a provincial hospital in Campbellton and a

women's shelter A women's shelter, also known as a women's refuge and battered women's shelter, is a place of temporary protection and support for women escaping domestic violence and intimate partner violence of all forms. The term is also frequently used to ...

Career

In 1993, Arseneault joined the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre in their inaugural opening year after convincing from the president of the New Brunswick Coalition of Transition House. While there, she was the recipient of the 1997 NB Advisory Council on the Status of Women Recognition Award for her contribution to improving the status of women in New Brunswick. A few years later, she was awarded the 2002 Muriel McQueen Fergusson Foundation Award for "outstanding contributions toward preventing and eliminating family violence in Canada." In 2013, Arseneault was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. Three years later, she received the

Canadian Association of Social Workers The Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) is the national association for the social work profession in Canada. Introduction CASW was founded in 1926 to establish standards of practice for social workers. It has individual members, and 10 ...

Distinguished Service Award. While working for the Murial McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research, Arseneault helped conduct a study which showed that women in rural New Brunswick had difficulty escaping violence than those in urban areas. Two years later, she was selected to attend United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. In December 2018, Arseneault was the recipient of the Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case.

Personal life

Arseneault and her husband Dan have three sons together.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arseneault, Rina Living people Université de Moncton alumni Members of the Order of Canada Canadian social work academics Academic staff of the University of New Brunswick Activists from New Brunswick Canadian women academics Year of birth missing (living people) Women in New Brunswick Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case winners