International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It is also the start of 16 Days of Activism on to end Gender-Based Violence. The rates of gender-based violence were high before the pandemic: on average, every six days, a woman is killed by her intimate partner in Canada. Social isolation measures may mean that abusers are in closer proximity and other people aren’t around to see the signs of violence and intervene.
Whether it’s intimate partner abuse, sexual exploitation or assault, cyberviolence, or stalking, it’s an issue that impacts all of us. It costs the lives of women and girls. It costs the Canadian economy billions every year. While all women are at risk, some face much higher levels of violence including Indigenous women, young women, women living with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQI+.
Join Canadian Labour to talk about what a National Action Plan on GBV should look like and how we can make it happen.