Violence Against Women

Some Sobering Statistics:

• 67% of Canadians know a woman who has been physically or sexually abused

• On average, every 6 days a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner

• Women reported 460,000 incidents of sexual assault in a 2009 Canadian Survey, but less than 10% of all sexual assaults are reported to police

• According to an RCMP study released in 2014, there are a total of 1,181 cases of police-recorded female Aboriginal homicide victims, of which 164 cases include missing Aboriginal women

The Effects of Violence in the Workplace:

• Research shows that most women who are currently living in shelters come from precarious conditions, part of which are tied to entry-level jobs in the economy

• While anonymity is sought by women leaving violent situations, it is often impossible for women to remain anonymous in their workplace as perpetrators often know their work location and work schedule

Ending Violence Against Women Means:

• Recognizing that a majority of persons experiencing violence are women

• Calling out violence or sexist comments and behaviours in your surroundings

• Developing a national strategy that ensures that women in all areas of the country have access to the same levels of services by working with all levels of government and various sectors including legal, housing and education, to name a few

• Your Voice counts!

• Violence against women transcends age, race, religion, nationality and class

(Information derived from Canadian Network of Women’s Shelters and Transition Houses and the Publication “Shelter Voices”; RCMP Missing And Murdered Aboriginal Women: A National Operational Review)