FORSETH Every step we take in this fight must include the voices, and acknowledge the experiences, of those who have faced this type of violence

If you are unaware, and that is a distinct possibility as there has not been a lot in the media about it, we are currently in the midst of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence. 

This is a campaign inspired by the United Nations, to help advance gender equity, make life better and make communities safer for women, girls and transgender people in BC and around the world.  It is also something which all 4 western provinces in Canada are working towards.  It is not however, at least at the moment, something with a unified focus and plan across the west.

Regardless, Manitoba’s Rochelle Squires, Minister responsible for the Status of Women, is unequivocal in saying:

“We want to take aim at victim blaming and the notion that it’s a woman’s job to keep herself safe and prevent sexual assault.  We must place the onus squarely on perpetrators or potential perpetrators, because the best way to stop sexual assault is to not assault someone in the first place”.

Sadly, a Global News report from this past May stated the province of Saskatchewan has long had the dubious distinction of being a national leader in rates of sexual assault and domestic violence.

To help in making change to this kind of negative national leadership, Saskatchewan became the first Canadian province to introduce legislation known as Clare’s Law.  First introduced in the United Kingdom, it was named in honour of Clare Wood, a woman who was murdered by her partner, and who unaware of his violent past.  Now, Saskatchewan police are able to release information about someone’s violent or abusive past, to intimate partners who may be at risk.

“Victims of interpersonal violence, and abuse, demonstrate great courage in stepping forward to tell their stories,” said Tina Beaudry-Mellor, Saskatchewan’s Minister Responsible for the Status of Women.

Last spring, the Saskatchewan government also launched The Listen Project, in partnership with the Public Legal Education Association (PLEA). The project provides two hours, more depending on circumstances, of free legal advice to survivors of sexual violence.

Here in BC, Susan Gillies, executive director of the Women’s Centre of Calgary, indicated that:

“Support from Status of Women allowed the Women’s Centre of Calgary to build projects that respond to community need and empower women and girls.

“The community program enabled us to create two projects that build up leadership skills for women and girls. Both projects were enthusiastically received by the community, and responsive curriculums are now built into our ongoing programming. Thanks to this community funding, we had the staff time and resources to respond to community interest.”

Other actions by the Alberta government of Premier Rachael Notley include boosting funding to women’s shelters, expanding front-line services at sexual assault centres, and removing time limits to launch civil claims by making the legal system more accessible to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.

In British Columbia, it has been estimated over half the provinces women have experienced physical or sexual violence since the age of 16.  Additionally, Indigenous women are over 2 and a half times more likely than non-Indigenous women to experience violence … while women with disabilities are almost twice as likely to be sexually assaulted as women without disabilities. 

Karen Martin with Disability Alliance BC noted that, “Women with disabilities experience high rates of gender-based violence, but have low rates of access to community services because of continued physical, social and economic exclusion, discrimination and isolation.” 

Esquimalt-Metchosin NDP MLA Mitzi Dean
Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity

Other groups are hard hit as well … a point made by BC MLA Mitzi Dean, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity.

“Everyone has the right to live without fear and violence, yet women, transgender and gender-diverse people continue to face gender-based and sexualized violence in every part of their lives”

To try and stem this and other gender-based domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking and sexual exploitation, grants from the government of BC (nearly one and three quarter million dollars) will be used for cross-government work in addressing the issues.

“Every step we take in this fight must include the voices and acknowledge the experiences of those who have faced this type of violence”, stated Dean.

I wondered about joint co-operation, between at least the governments of Western Canada, regarding gender-based violence.  A spokesperson for the government of BC stated:

“We’re pleased to see our provincial and federal colleagues across the country responding to this campaign, because it will take all of us working together to end gender-based violence”. 

They then continued:

“Gender-based violence and other topics related to gender equity are discussed on an ongoing basis through the Federal-Provincial-Territorial National Forum on the Status of Women.  BC recently became the co-chair of the Forum.”

Two provinces over, the Government of Saskatchewan stated they are … always willing to work with our provincial partners, however, we do not have plans to hold a conference at this time. We would consider participating if another government or organization held such an event.

Recently, Alberta Minister of Status of Women Danielle Larivee asked, “What can I do to question, call out and speak up against violence against women?”

It seems to me that in part at least, the answer to this question would be to call for a conference of all Western provinces to share ideas, and discuss the various programs each is doing, in an effort to provide better services to women experiencing gender-based violence.  After all, and these words which came from Manitoba’s Rochelle Squires …

“Statistics show one woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner every six days, and global data estimates one in three women worldwide experience physical or sexual intimate partner violence at some point in their life.”

“The time for change is now.”

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops.  If you have any thoughts on this commentary, please share them below in the Comments Section.