Gun violence against women
Date: May 13, 2020
Classification: Unclassified
Fully releasable (ATIP)? Yes
Branch / Agency: CSCCB
Issue: Firearms violence in Canada, including mass shootings such as those at Polytechnique and Portapique, Nova Scotia, is often linked to gender-based violence and intimate partner violence.
Proposed Response:
- I cannot comment on the specifics of the situation in Nova Scotia as the investigation is ongoing.
- Gender-based violence and gender inequality remain a reality in Canada. Women account for almost 8 in 10 victims of intimate partner violence. In 2018 there were just under 600 victims of police-reported intimate partner violence involved in incidents where a firearm was present, up from 401 in 2013.
- Anyone who is in danger or at risk of harm by someone with a firearm can call the police or the provincial Chief Firearms Officer.
- We took decisive action to protect the public by limiting access to the most dangerous firearms and removing them from the Canadian market.
- We are also expanding background checks for those wishing to obtain a firearms licence to consider their history over their lifetime, including offences involving intimate partner violence, rather than just the preceding five years. We can save lives by limiting access to firearms to anyone known to have a history of violent behaviour.
- I have been very clear that we need to strengthen Canada’s gun control framework and we intend to introduce a red-flag regime to reduce cases of intimate partner violence, and suicide by temporarily removing firearms from individuals who pose a danger to themselves or their partners or kids.
Background:
Media reports have suggested that the perpetrator of the recent mass shooting in Nova Scotia had a history of violence against women. There are suggestions that the incident itself was triggered by a violent assault against a woman.
Women account for almost 8 in 10 victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). In 2018 there were just under 600 victims of police-reported intimate partner violence involved in incidents where a firearm was present, up from 401 in 2013.
However, like many other forms of Gender Based Violence (GBV), reported incidents and details of IPV and the realities of women who are victims/survivors of IPV could differ. Most cases of IPV are not brought to the attention of law enforcement.
The true extent of intimate partner violence in Canada may be underestimated. Results from the 2014 General Social Survey on Canadians’ Safety (Victimization) showed that when it came to spousal violence, seven in ten victims indicated that the police had never been made aware of the violence. Most often, victims of spousal violence indicated that they did not report the violence to police because they saw the abuse as a private matter. For those victims who did report spousal violence to the police, the majority did so because they wanted to stop the violence and receive protection.
COVID-19 Context
The impacts of COVID-19 are gendered and can have particularly negative effects on women. Home is not a safe place for everyone and so stay at home orders and physical distancing measures are placing women and children at increased risks of intimate partner and family violence.
Law enforcement and direct service providers are seeing significant changes in calls regarding intimate partner violence and child maltreatment/abuse during COVID-19. While some are reporting up to 30% increases in calls to crisis lines and demands for services, others are reporting silence, raising concerns that women experiencing violence are not able to reach out. During the most recent federal-provincial-territorial Ministerial Meeting of Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women (May 1, 2020), all jurisdictions stated they anticipate significant increases in demand for gender-based violence and intimate partner violence services after the isolation measures are lifted and women can once again find a way to leave their homes.
NB: Information in the background was provided by Women and Gender Equality Canada
Contacts:
Prepared by: Brendan Blom, Senior Policy Advisor, 613-884-4450 (cell)
Approved by: Trevor Bhupsingh, A/ADM
Please ensure that the Minister’s Office can reach whoever is listed, cell number required.
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