Femicides are on the rise in Canada and well above the figures prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, 184 women murdered in 2022, according to a new report that denounces the absence of a major public policy.
“This means that at least one woman or girl is murdered every two days,” says the Canadian Femicide Observatory in its report, which specifies that “men are the vast majority of defendants.”
Almost 60% of the victims were murdered by their partner or ex-partner, the observatory points out.
“The death of a woman should be significant in itself,” said Myrna Dawson, founder of the observatory and professor of sociology at the University of Guelph (Ontario).
“Canada is falling behind”
“But we must also recognize the impact these deaths have on those left behind. They reverberate for decades in the lives of those trying to survive, especially children,” he added in a statement.
The report also points to the overrepresentation in this field of indigenous women, who correspond to 36% of the victims of femicide and only 5% of the Canadian population.
Human rights defenders also ask that the country recognize femicides in the penal code, as is the case in some countries. “Canada lags behind other countries in its response to male violence against women and girls,” said Myrna Dawson.
In late March, a commission investigating a 2020 murder in eastern Canada called on the government to acknowledge that ‘gender-based, intimate partner or domestic violence’ was an ‘epidemic’ and therefore a primary problem and widespread.
3919: the hotline for women victims of violence
In France, “3919”, “Violence Femmes Info”, is the national reference number for women victims of violence (domestic, sexual, psychological, forced marriages, sexual mutilation, harassment…). It is free and anonymous. It offers listening, informs and guides towards support and support systems. This number is administered by the National Federation of Solidarity Women (FNSF).
Source: BFM TV
