Gender based violence (GBV) happens when harm or violent behavior, actions, or practices are perpetrated against individuals based on their gender identity, gender expression, or perceived gender. It encompasses a range of physical, sexual, psychological, and economic abuses that are often rooted in unequal power dynamics and societal norms that reinforce gender inequalities. Women, girls, Two Spirit, trans and non-binary people are disproportionately affected by GBV due to additional discrimination and barriers they face in society. This can include women with disabilities, women who are refugees, Indigenous women, racialized women, trans and non-binary people, and women who are homeless or underhoused who may not have access to services that meet their specific needs.
Experiences of GBV are very complex and can vary in many circumstances due to its intersections with culture, power, and systemic inequality. It is important to know gender-based violence is not only exclusive to intimate partner relationships but is also present between family members and workplace dynamics. Becoming aware of the signs is the first step in addressing unequal power dynamics and ending gender-based violence.
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“More than 4 in 10 women have experienced some form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime. In 2018, 44% of women in an intimate partner relationship reported experiencing some form of psychological, physical, or sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime” (Statistics Canada, 2021).
“Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to be murdered or missing than any other women in Canada, and 16 times more likely than white women" (National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, 2019).
“Women and girls with disabilities are at a high risk of experiencing gender-based and other forms of violence due to social stereotypes that often serve to reduce their agency by infantilizing, dehumanizing and isolating them, making them vulnerable to various forms of violence, including institutional violence” (Disabled Women’s Network of Canada, 2014).
“Immigrant women may be more vulnerable to domestic violence due to economic dependence, language barriers, and a lack of knowledge about community resources. Newcomers traumatized by war or oppressive governments are much less likely to report physical or sexual violence to authorities, for fear of further victimization and deportation” (Rupaleem Bhuyan et al., University of Toronto, 2014).
“Transgender people were more likely to have experienced violence since age 15, and also more likely to experience inappropriate behaviors in public, online and at work than cisgender Canadians” (Brianna Jaffray, Statistics Canada, 2018).
“Women who identify as lesbian or bisexual are three to four times more likely than heterosexual women to report experiencing spousal violence” (Laura Simpson, Statistics Canada, 2018)
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