Key Issues In Focus: Gender-based Violence
Photography by SouthWorks Creative.
This is a new series I’m starting to take a closer look at the issues that underpin my campaign ambitions and policy ideas.
According to the City of Toronto’s Quick Facts page about this subject, these are the important statistics to know when it comes to preventing and responding to gender-based, intimate partner and domestic violence:
33% Have experienced domestic violence
35% Have at least one co-worker who’s experiencing, or has experienced domestic violence
12% Have at least one co-worker whom they believe is being abusive, or has been, to a partner
We ALL know someone – if not several people – who have survived/are surviving these types of violence. That is why this is an important issue to me; and it’s effects are more multifarious than I believe people realize. Here’s another statistic from the City’s website:
Canadian employers lose $77.9 million annually due to direct and indirect impacts of domestic violence.
In the coming weeks I will further elaborate on my platform’s focus on GBV, IPV and DV; the above points are all unique to me – I’m truly mystified as to why Olivia Chow isn’t on the TPS Board, and you can expect me to be there to ensure accountability and appropriate, meaningful courses of action are taking place.
My passion for this particular advocacy comes from a combination of my lived, volunteer and professional experience, as well as my interest in criminology and social justice.
FYI: During the pandemic, I took an online course about psychopathic behaviour through George Brown. I aced it and it informs much of my approach to addressing mental health and public safety issues!
I believe this combination of outreach, conversation and research is an asset in the role of Mayor, particularly because I want to highlight how interconnected many of our city’s biggest issues are….
As Mayor, I will immediately establish the City’s need, and pathways to ability, to build more and better shelters that are focused on harm reduction, community care and meaningful rehabilitation. I have already had some productive and ambitious conversations with social service, emergency response and mutual aid workers as well as people in the unhoused community as well.
One more thing for now: Over the last week, I’ve read through and made notes from the recently released “Confronting Antifeminist Ideologies in Canada” document. It is distressing and eye-opening and I encourage you all to read it and approach me with your questions/ideas/concerns from it. I have lots that I will be talking about in the future!
