The 16-day campaign against gender-based violence (GBV) takes place every year from 25 November to 10 December, with the aim of mobilizing people around the world to end GBV in all its forms. But GBV is not just a 16-day problem out of the year.
GBV affects our society all year round. This results in enormous personal and economic costs over an individual's lifetime and can be passed on to children and other family members exposed to violence. This ripples across health, education, employment, justice and social systems, thereby hindering growth and prosperity within the economy.
The social, moral, human rights and economic arguments for eradicating GBV are clear, but action to repair the cracks in the social fabric that enable GBV is fraught with inadequate and piecemeal investments. This has resulted in an uncoordinated and suboptimal approach to preventing and addressing the scourge of gender violence.
GBV is an everyday reality and risk for all women, transgender and non-binary people, and many men. In Canada, four in 10 women will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime. When all forms of GBV are also taken into account, this rate jumps to one in two women. Importantly, the risks and outcomes are amplified for the most marginalized, including immigrant women, trans women, racialized women, indigenous women, and women with disabilities.
While the focus on GBV prevention must remain a priority, ensuring an integrated and sustainable support framework is essential to survive and thrive. In a new report on improving access to services, we found that survivors, especially racialized and Indigenous survivors, face three persistent barriers to getting the support they need.
First, seeking support may not be considered acceptable behavior due to cultural acceptance of violence and internalized stigma and shame, which may delay seeking help. Moreover, a lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate services can prevent them from getting the help they need. Second, they are unable to afford health, psychosocial and legal services due to travel and childcare costs, lack of health insurance or lack of financial autonomy. Third, many services are not designed to meet the diverse needs of survivors who do not know what services are available or who live too far away to receive support.
A one-size-fits-all support model risks making racially and ethnically diverse survivors “invisible” at a time when they need help most.
Therefore, a one-size-fits-all support model risks rendering racially and ethnically diverse survivors “invisible” at a time when they need help most.
However, with the right support, survivors can achieve improved health and well-being, improved self-confidence, reduced psychological distress, increased social connectedness, increased motivation to help others facing violence, and the empowerment to regain control and autonomy over their lives. there is.
So how do we address these barriers?
Of course, the first solution is investment. Community programs and services are notoriously underfunded. They struggle to provide comprehensive, safe, and culturally competent services to support diverse survivors, especially due to a lack of funding to train staff, hire interpreters, and develop targeted programs. Viewing these funds as an investment rather than an expense helps focus attention on the long-term benefits to individuals, communities, and the economy.
The second solution is to close policy loopholes that create vulnerabilities. For example, immigration policies may increase women's risk of GBV because they may become dependent on their abusers to maintain their legal status in Canada. Current legal structures and processes can be a vector for amplifying abuse as perpetrators use existing systems to continue to exercise control over women. The lack of legal structures to protect the most marginalized women facilitates economic abuse. Workplaces often play a role in perpetuating GBV because labor laws do not provide sufficient protection and leave measures for people experiencing violence. And not being eligible for health insurance can limit your access to essential health care services.
A third solution is for employers to combat GBV within their organizations and support employees who experience GBV at work or at home. Companies with complex supply chains can better address situations within their suppliers that can lead to violence. Additionally, ensuring time off for moving, court appearances, and medical appointments can mean the difference between being able to keep your job or not. Training line managers can support people experiencing GBV and help reduce the impact of GBV on productivity and safety in the workplace. When it becomes easier to change addresses or relocate to a new company location, it becomes easier for women to escape risk.
Fourth, urgently address the lack of data on the serious, long-term and intergenerational impacts and consequences of trauma on individuals, families, economies and societies. We cannot deal with what is not measured. Data that includes race, immigration status, indigenous peoples, disability and other harm-exacerbating factors, and is linked to other population-level data on health, education, legal and social outcomes, supports ongoing monitoring and accountability. Through a research and evaluation agenda co-developed with diverse individuals who have experienced GBV and supported by these data, we will be able to tailor and scale effective interventions that can benefit all survivors.
While it is vital that we do a better job of supporting GBV survivors, we dare to imagine a world where these services were not needed and where we had invested in conditions that promote gender equality and prevent GBV from occurring. Until then, we must continue to focus on improving access to GBV services for all women, especially the most marginalized, 365 days a year.