What is Gender-Based Violence?
Gender-based violence encompasses a variety of harmful acts targeting individuals or groups because of their gender, gender identity, or perceived gender or gender identity. It takes different forms, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, harassment, sexual assault, and even murder. These acts are rooted in gender inequality, abuse of power, and harmful norms.
The term highlights structural power imbalances based on gender, placing women, girls, and other gender identities in a position of heightened vulnerability. Although women are more frequently affected, gender-based violence can also affect men, boys, and encompass discrimination against 2SLGBTQI+ populations.
What is Intimate Partner Violence?
Intimate partner violence is a type of gender-based violence. It is violence and abuse between current or former intimate partners who are dating, married, in common-law partnerships, or separated. It is a form of domestic violence, which also encompasses violence between parents and children, roommates, or others who share a home.
What are the Stats?
- More than 2 in 5 women will experience some form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime
- A woman is killed in Canada by a current or former intimate partner every 5 days
- The proportion of women killed by a spouse or intimate partner is over eight times greater than the proportion of men
- Indigenous women are killed at nearly seven times the rate of non-Indigenous women sept fois plus souvent
What Do Women’s Shelters Do?
Shelters and transition houses are much more than refuges from violence – they are places where women rebuild their lives. They are safe transitional homes for women to reconnect with themselves and their children, and plan ways to move forward in a life of safety and security.
Shelter workers provide services to women and children who are often the most marginalized. These women may be experiencing intergenerational trauma, addiction, and/or mental health concerns. They may be newly arrived immigrants or refugees, have difficulty securing housing, or be involved in a child custody case.
To help women become the healthiest, happiest, and safest versions of themselves, women’s shelters offer a variety of services such as 24/7 counselling, children’s programs, parenting classes, mental health and addiction services, legal and housing services, men’s programs, and assistance with applications to educational and apprenticeship programs. Women do not need to stay in the shelter to receive these services; in fact, for every two women receiving support while living in shelter, there are five accessing outreach services.
To learn more about the work of women’s shelters, see this YouTube playlist.