Amid an emotional and at times hopeful gathering at FirstOntario Arts Centre Milton Monday, Rechie Valdez reaffirmed Ottawa’s commitment to ending gender-based violence.
Joined by local MP Kristina Tesser Derksen, the federal minister for women and gender equality shared details of the recently-announced increased funding plan for WAGE (women and gender equality) to $660 million over the next five years.
Of that, $223 million has been allocated for community supports such as crisis hotlines, research initiatives and enhancing data collection. The government also plans to implement a voluntary code of conduct for federally regulated banks on how to identify financial abuse.
Part of the international 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, the announcement sparked plenty of optimism from stakeholders as individual program support was unveiled.
“There is so much need we have right now to be able to tackle violence,” said Lisa Bitacola, executive director of Canvas Programs, whose non-profit provides educational workshops in schools on how to identify different forms of abuse, including gender-based violence. “The landscape is always changing.”
Echoed Canvas development team lead Jules Samson, “Right now, teenagers are dealing with an insane amount of misinformation and extremism happening online.”
According to the federal government data, an average of 102 women and girls were victims of gender-based homicides per year between 2011 and 2021. Ninety-three per cent of these murders were perpetrated by a male or a family member.
As much as 70 per cent of trans youth aged 14 to 18 reported sexual harassment in 2017, according to a national survey of 500 LGBTQ students by Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights. A third of them told surveyors that they were subject to threats or injury.
“I don’t want to see trans people, and especially trans women, put on the back burner,” said Samsom. “I think sometimes, when we are talking about this, we are focusing on cisgender women.”
While not getting into specifics, Valdez spoke about a family member who died at the hands of, she said, her husband.
“Today’s announcement from a gender-based violence perspective, I know, is going to help make a difference for many women and girls going forward,” said the minister.
Said Tesser Derksen, “We know that the needs are there. That’s an ongoing conversation that we have, you know, as representatives and government to make sure that they’re getting what they need.”
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