Across Canada, those with the least access to services – including Indigenous women and girls, Black and racialized women, immigrant and refugee women, women with disabilities, 2SLGBTQI+ people, and women living in Northern, rural, and remote communities – have been experiencing the highest rates of violence.
The Trudeau government has shown an unprecedented commitment to addressing the rising tide of violence against women and girls and gender-based violence, including in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has included critical supports for women’s shelters, crisis hotlines, and front-line organizations helping survivors fleeing gender-based violence, and this year, the launch of Canada’s 10-year National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.
This support for addressing gender-based violence must continue in the form of sustained and increasing investments, and coordinated action across all levels of government to address systemic issues, service and program gaps, and intersectional vulnerabilities. Steps must also be taken to address shortcomings and ensure independent oversight and a robust monitoring and evaluation framework for the National Action Plan, including concrete implementation plans, disaggregated data collection, and intersectional analysis.
