As MentorAction continues to engage our community in efforts to end gender-based violence, there may be people who assume that these sorts of things are not commonplace in Canada – unfortunately, this is not the case. Below are current facts and statistics surrounding the prevalence of gender-based violence in Canada.
- In Canada, 160 women and girls were killed by violence in 2020.
- In Canada, every 6 days a woman is killed by her intimate partner.
- Each year, there are over 40,000 domestic violence arrests in Canada. Approximately 80% of those arrests are men. Only about 22% of these incidents are reported to the police, leaving the number of domestic violence incidents being closer to 180,000 per year, and 144,000 women and girls as victims.
- As a nation, Canada spends $ 7.4 billion to deal with the aftermath of spousal abuse alone – this does not include the response to other forms of violence women experience.
“Everyone has the right to live a life free from violence. However, many Canadians across the country continue to face violence every day because of their gender, gender expression, gender identity or perceived gender.” Do statistics alone tell the entirety of the story? No. But it certainly demonstrates how much of a problem exists in our country. We all have women and girls in our lives that we love. Ask yourself, what would you do if it was your loved one? This issue is present and real in our country. We all have a role to play in working to ensure safety and respect for women in our communities. What is your #firststepfirstchange? What can you do to Be More Than a Bystander? Don’t shy away from the importance of this conversation! It can be a matter of life and death.
*We want to acknowledge the transgender community and the extreme levels of violence they experience in this country as well. We stand with you and demand change as all people are worthy and deserve to live a life free from violence.*
The above statistics and facts are courtesy of the Canadian Women’s Foundation, Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter and the Government of Canada.
You can take your #firststepfirstchange towards ending gender-based violence and join the Steel City Allies.
Authored by: Lance Haverkamp, Chair, MentorAction