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How Can We Address a Problem We Refuse to Name?
An urgent crisis has been steadily rising in Ontario—one that continues to claim lives and disproportionately impacts women, girls, and gender diverse people. Gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) remain at alarmingly high levels, it is high time the provincial government recognize the extent of this crisis for what it is: an epidemic. We cannot change what we refuse to name.
YWCA Toronto, an organization leading and supporting advocacy for gender and racial equity and poverty reduction, understands that the first step to meaningful change is recognition, and they are not alone in this thinking. For the past two years, on December 6—the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women—YWCA Toronto has mobilized more than 150 organizations to sign an open letter urging the Ontario government to declare IPV an epidemic.
The Link Between Gender-Based Violence and Housing Insecurity
Through supportive services, housing programs, and advocacy, YWCA Toronto works to address the systemic barriers that perpetuate inequality and violence in our city and recognize the link between access to housing and gender-based violence.
Housing is a fundamental human right, yet for many women and gender diverse people, it remains out of reach. GBV, including physical, emotional, sexual, and economic violence, is one of the leading causes of housing insecurity and homelessness among women and gender diverse people, forcing many to remain in unsafe situations due to a lack of viable alternatives. Current housing models do not adequately account for the unique needs of survivors, leaving them to choose between precarious housing or continued exposure to violence.
YWCA Toronto understands that early intervention and prevention efforts save lives, including investments in affordable housing and supportive services; their programming includes emergency and violence against women shelters, the Breakthrough program, which offers trauma-informed counselling, and Here to Help, which supports mothers and children affected by intimate partner violence.
The Call for Political Action
In 2022, the Ontario coroner’s inquest into the 2015 triple femicide of Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kuzyk, and Nathalie Warmerdam in the Ottawa Valley put forward 86 recommendations to address IPV. The very first recommendation was to declare IPV an epidemic. Despite overwhelming evidence and the support of more than 99 municipalities across Ontario, the provincial government has yet to act.
By not declaring IPV an epidemic, the message is clear—that the safety and wellbeing of women, girls, and gender diverse people are not political priorities. This inaction comes at a devastating cost: in the past year alone, at least 62 lives have been lost to femicide in Ontario. Disproportionately impacted by this violence are Indigenous, Black, racialized, senior and newcomer women, women living with disabilities, and trans women, who all face unique vulnerabilities within systems that continue to fail them.
While the Ontario government has expressed some willingness to move forward—passing Bill 173: Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act through a second reading in April 2024—the bill has remained stalled. With the Ontario election now behind us, YWCA Toronto, alongside survivors, families impacted by IPV, anti-GBV organizations and advocates, is urging the Ontario government to prioritize and pass Bill 173: Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act, 2024, once and for all.
A Coordinated, Intersectional Response
YWCA Toronto calls for a holistic approach to addressing this violence, beginning with declaring IPV an epidemic and investing in violence prevention and early intervention programs. It includes stabilizing funding for and expanding the shelter system and ensuring long-term housing solutions are readily available—survivors need more than emergency shelter; they need permanent, accessible, and affordable housing with wraparound support services.
Femicide and IPV touch every part of Ontario—from urban centres to rural communities. Ontario must act now by declaring IPV an epidemic and committing to the systemic changes required to protect women, girls, and gender diverse people.
Join YWCA Toronto in urging action.
Visit ywcatoronto.org to learn more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube @YWCAToronto and @YWCATO.
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YWCA Toronto is dedicated to improving the lives of women, girls and gender diverse people.