Ford, declare intimate partner violence an epidemic already!

How about everyone reading this give Doug Ford a call at 647-612-3673 to let him know enough IPV, GBV, femicides and familicides already! Declare intimate partner violence an epidemic!

A group of graffiti artists (all young women) painted orange murals in Zone 18 in Guatemala City in support of UN Women and the UNiTE campaign to End Violence against Women. Photo: UN Women/Carlos Rivera

On November 25^th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the United Nations (UN) released, Femicides in 2023: Global Estimates of Intimate Partner/Family Member Femicides by UN Women and UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The report provides evidence that femicide remains pervasive world-wide. Globally, 85,000 women and girls were intentionally murdered in 2023. Sixty per cent of these homicides — 51,000 women and girls — were committed by an intimate partner or other family member.

That means, every day 140 women and girls are killed because of their gender. Those femicides are carried out by their partner or a close relative. That is one woman or girl every 10 minutes.

In 2023, Africa recorded the highest rates of intimate partner and family-related femicide, followed by the Americas and then by Oceania. In Europe and the Americas, most women killed in the domestic sphere — 64 per cent and 58 per cent, respectively — were victims of intimate partners, elsewhere, family members were the primary perpetrators.

“Violence against women and girls is not inevitable—it is preventable. We need robust legislation, improved data collection, greater government accountability, a zero-tolerance culture, and increased funding for women’s rights organizations and institutional bodies. As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025, it is time for world leaders to UNiTE and act with urgency, recommit, and channel the resources needed to end this crisis once and for all,” explained Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director.

The UN femicide report highlights the urgent need for strong criminal justice systems that hold perpetrators accountable. The report also emphasizes ensuring adequate support for survivors including access to safe and transparent reporting mechanisms.

Simultaneously, it’s time to confront and dismantle gender biases, power imbalances, and harmful norms that perpetuate violence against women (VAW).

The UN 16 Days of Activism against Gendered-Based Violence Campaign from November 25^th to December 10^th calls for accountability and action from decision-makers.

This year marked the 25^th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women that highlighted best practices of investment to prevent violence against women as well as gaps, challenges and the way forward.

To be a part of the global Orange the World campaign wear orange and speak out against gender-based violence using the hash tags #NoExcuse and #16Days.

Suzanne Zaccour, (B.C.L, LL.B, LL.M, DPhil), Director of Legal Affairs for NAWL Photo supplied by Suzanne Zaccour

A closer look at Canada reveals that 60 per cent of all femicides are committed by an intimate partner or other family member. And, that femicide and intimate partner violence (IPV) have reached epidemic levels.

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) joined a coalition of 50 women’s organizations calling on the federal government to implement gun control laws to address the femicide crisis.

They want the federal government to urgently implement the full provisions of Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms), to address the use of firearms in situations of domestic and gender-based violence before the next federal election.

NAWL testified alongside PolySeSouveint/PolyRemembers before the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women. They contributed to a pivotal study on gender-based violence and femicides, advocating for protections for women across Canada.

They outlined key recommendations to address gun-related intimate partner threats, femicides, and familicides. These recommendations largely center around the implementation of Bill C-21 which received royal assent on December 15, 2023.

Read their joint brief, which was endorsed by 50 women's and victims' advocacy groups.

To date, there have been 163 femicides of women and girls across Canada -- an increase of 12 femicides compared with this time in 2023.

Familicides include the murder of close family members like a woman and her children, a woman and her siblings and/or her parents, with the killer often committing suicide.

At least 22 women have been murdered with firearms this year along with seven children.

NAWL urged all federal party leaders to commit to uphold and enforce new laws to prevent injury, femicides and familicides by intimate-partner gun violence.

On November 21^st, NAWL met with Members of Parliament and Senators regarding the epidemic of gender-based violence (GBV) in Canada and to outline recommendations to address this human rights crisis.

NAWL was joined by Meseret Haileyesus, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Women's Empowerment (CCWE), who spoke about the important role economic security plays in working to end VAW.

According the CCWE, 96 per cent of domestic abuse survivors have experienced economic abuse. The lack of coordinated services and the systematic barriers that exist today perpetuate their struggle, compelling many women to return to their abuser, putting themselves and their children in greater danger.

In May 2024, NAWL emphasized key areas of law reform essential for a safer future for women, girls, and gender-diverse people, including advocating for a ban of parental alienation accusations in family court.

NAWL urged Members of Parliament and Senators to safeguard women and children by prioritizing legislation to end these harmful, pseudoscientific accusations.

For over 50 years, NAWL has championed feminist legal reforms to protect women from GBV and while significant progress has been made, there is still a great deal of work to do.

OAITH Snapshot of Trends Credit: https://x.com/ONFemicide

Since November 26th, 2023, a total of 59 femicides had been reported in Ontario, including six in October alone.

Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH) defines femicide as a gender-based killing of a woman, child, trans woman, 2-Spirited Person, or gender non-conforming individual where a man has been charged in relation to the death in Ontario.

OAITH’s team reviews and analyzes hundreds of media articles every year to examine relationships between victims and those charged or deemed responsible including a prior history of violence, criminal justice charges laid at the time the crime was committed, cause of death, race, geography, age and the location where the crimes occurred.

Unfortunately, due to the reliance on media sources, OAITH cannot possibly capture all femicides partially because some femicides are not reported by the media while other femicides are wrongly classified. Systemic forms of racism and oppression also contribute to the undervaluing of those who are most marginalized and who are killed by men and that can impact reporting.

OAITH has determined that femicides are preventable and that has been borne out by Ontario Domestic Violence Death Review Committee (DVDRC) research that maintains there are always signs including these top 10 factors:

• A history of violence (72 per cent)

• Pending or current separation (69 per cent)

• The perpetrator is depressed (54 per cent)

• Obsessive behaviour by the perpetrator (53 per cent)

• An escalation of violence (49 per cent)

• Prior threats or attempts by the perpetrator to commit suicide (44 per cent)

• Prior threats to kill the victim (44 per cent)

• Prior attempts to isolate the victim (42 per cent)

• The perpetrator is unemployed (41 per cent)

• Victim has an intuitive sense of fear toward the perpetrator (38 per cent)

It’s important to digress at this point to mention that in 2021, Prabhu Rajan, Chief Counsel Attorney General — whose salary was $256,490 plus $320,000 in taxable benefits in 2023 — became chair of the Ontario DVDRC. That year the DVDRC published its last annual report analysing IPV-related deaths for 2019 and 2020.

The committee reviewed 35 cases and made 59 recommendations. Yet, that was the last year a report was issued putting an end to 18 years of important femicide data collection, synthesis, recommendations and public access.

And, that was on Doug Ford’s watch.

Now, getting back to OAITH, the registered charitable organization has reported over 1,080 femicide victims since 1990. They use their findings to advocate for change with community members, journalists, government officials and public policy makers.

Every year OAITH releases an Annual Femicide List to ensure the lives lost are remembered while bringing attention to the violence women experience and to initiate action to move the annual list to zero.

OAITH works in partnership with Dr. Mavis Morton, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph.

This year’s Annual Femicide List – November 26, 20023 to November 25, 2024 — names a total of 62 women and children ranging age from 86 years old to two months old.

It lays bare the fact that the Ford government needs to declare femicide an epidemic in Ontario and that the federal government needs to enact real changes to the Criminal Code of Canada.

UN Femicides in 2023 Credit: 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

The UN 16 Days of Activism against Gendered-Based Violence Campaign ends on December 10^th which is also International Human Rights Day that enshrines the inalienable rights of all people, regardless of:

• Race

• Color

• Religion

• Sex

• Language

• Political or other opinion

• National or social origin

• Property

• Birth or other status

Government of Canada 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence 2024 Credit: Government of Canada

The Government of Canada’s theme for 2024, Come Together, Act Now, emphasizes how crucial it is to involve everyone in Canada – particularly men and boys – in changing social norms, attitudes and behaviours that contribute to gender-based violence. It’s also a call to action urging all of Canadians to recognize the signs of gender-based violence and to reach out for support. Check out the ways you can get involved.

A building lit up purple as part of the Shine the Light on Woman Abuse campaign created by the London Abused Women's Centre Credit: London Abused Women’s Centre

Each year since 2010, the Shine the Light on Woman Abuse campaign brings awareness to the issue of men's violence against women by turning communities throughout Ontario purple for the month of November.

So, Premier Doug Ford, where was your purple tie? Purple socks? Purple scarf? Or, shirt? Was Queen’s Park lit up purple every night in November?

And, as for Dougie, saying, "I have four daughters. And if anyone ever touched my daughters, that would be the worst day of their lives. I have zero tolerance for any sort of violence against women or anyone in that fact,” that is pure patriarchal, misogynous rhetoric that is not only completely out of touch, but just not good enough!

That statement also has overtones of Trump declaring that he will take care of ‘the’ women whether they want him to or not. Women don’t need Doug to take care of them.

Women need meaningful, enforceable policy along with better funding for women’s shelters, transition housing, deeply affordable housing as well as robust rent controls, $10-a-day childcare, a living wage and a universal standard of living — aka basic income — so they can take care of themselves and their children.

The real solution for the epidemic of GBV was crafted by Ontario NDP MPPs Peggy Sattler, Lisa Gretzky, Jill Andrew, and Kristyn Wong-Tam in the form of Bill 173, Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act (2024).

These progressives recognize that Dougie beating up his daughters’ intimate partners does absolutely nothing for women living with, leaving and recovering from IPV, GBV as well as the threat of femicide and familicide.

And, 95 Ontario municipalities agree with the progressive NDP MPPs because these communities have declared IPV an epidemic.

Dougie, it’s time to stop stalling and pass Bill 173 because that is what you promised the hundreds of IPV survivors and advocates who showed up at Queen’s Park last April. But since then, nothing.

I echo the words of NDP Leader Marit Stiles when she asked Dougie during question period, “How many more people have to die before this government declares intimate partner violence an epidemic?”

I always like to leave readers with a viable action they can take, so how about everyone reading this give Dougie a call at 647-612-3673 to let him know enough IPV, GBV, femicides and familicides already! Declare intimate partner violence an epidemic now! Pass Bill 173!

Be sure to tell Dougie that he needs to follow Bill 173 with additional meaningful legislation to end IPV, GBV, femicides and familicides in Ontario.

Have a listen to Baby Face’s How Come, How Long if you need inspiration to take that action that will save a woman’s life — then, make that call.

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Thanks to everyone who read today’s article. With your continued support, a little Nicoll can make a lot of change.