At North York Women’s Shelter, we believe that advocacy is shown through action. There has been a number of positive steps forward in the local, provincial and national infrastructure to tackle the endemic that is gender-based violence – however, it’s not yet enough.

This month, we have seen the release of the Toronto Police Service’s online intimate and family violence open data portal. This is a tool that makes visible what survivors and front-line agencies have long known; gender based violence is happening in every community across our city, and the long list of requests for support highlights the need for appropriate, coordinated action. However, transparency is only one piece of the puzzle – showcasing this high need is alarming, and we know that to respond adequately, this awareness must be paired with sector expertise. North York Women’s Shelter is calling for shelter sector involvement in police training, as without specialized knowledge of trauma, coercive control and survivor safety planning, data alone cannot improve outcomes.

See Carol Latchford, Executive Director of NYWS’s response to the release in this CBC article.
See Rachel Morrison, Sr. Manager of Development at NYWS’s response in this CityNews Toronto piece.

In a more harrowing release, the Chief Coroner recently shared their most recent Domestic Violence Death Review Committee report, showing the other side of the issue of gender-based violence; the loss of life which our province experiences as a consequence. The three highest risk factors identified in the report were,

1. A history of domestic violence between the killer and the victim (seen in 89% of cases)
2. Victim vulnerability, including mental health issues, addictions, disability, language, cultural barriers, economic dependence and living in rural or remote areas (seen in 82% of cases)
3. Excessive alcohol and/or drug use by the person who caused the death (seen in 61% of cases)

These risk factors are a reality of the individual stories that shelters see daily; survivors facing escalating violence during or after separation, navigating vulnerabilities that limit their ability to seek help, and carrying long histories of abuse that require trauma-informed intervention. This reinforces our belief that police training must be rooted in gender based violence expertise.

A step in the right direction…

In the wake of additional awareness of the risks of gender-based violence in our community and country, we are heartened to see some positive actions being taken. For example, the recent commitment in Ontario’s budget of $27 million for gender-based shelters and crisis services is a welcome investment – but one that must be matched with improved coordination between systems. Additionally, we have seen the newly released Men’s Counselling Link line for folks who feel that they are out of control of their actions and may pose a risk to their intimate partner, ex-partner or family member. While we are yet to see data on the adoption of this service by would-be perpetrators, the creation and funding of such a channel represents a commitment by the province to put systems in place to prevent crimes before they happen.

The developments in the conversation about gender-based violence this month fit into a single picture; public data that illustrates the scope of violence, research that identifies critical risk factors for serious harm or death, and a growing investment in both crisis response and prevention. To turn these efforts into real safety for survivors, system partners need to work together; police, shelters, crisis lines and prevention services must align around evidence-based, trauma-informed practice.

We hope that Ontario’s new investments will create the change we wish to see, to reduce the very real statistic that 44% of women in our country will experience intimate partner violence in her lifetime. Involving gender-based violence shelters in prevention and intervention efforts will be critical in guaranteeing a meaningful response.