WHEREAS More than 46 municipalities and regions including the Cities of Toronto, Ottawa, Burlington, Windsor and London, along with Peel, Durham and Halton Regions, Lanark County, and Renfrew County) across Ontario have declared a gender-based violence and/or intimate partner violence epidemic; and
WHEREAS by declaring gender-based violence and intimate partner violence an epidemic, The City of Brantford can join the growing number of municipalities and regions in Canada in demanding action from all levels of government to address this growing epidemic; and
WHEREAS the incidences of gender-based violence and intimate partner violence increased exponentially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and have not decreased, while funding to provide the growing demand of services and support for victims and survivors of intimate partner and gender based violence has not kept pace; and
WHEREAS The City of Brantford had the highest number of police reports for Intimate Partner Violence in Ontario, and the 4th highest municipality in Canada in 2018; and
WHEREAS Nova Vita answered over 4,500 crisis and support calls in 2022, and in the same year, 648 women who were seeking safe shelter from family violence were turned away because the shelters were full and had no bed space to offer them. This number doesn’t include their children; and
WHEREAS In Ontario last year, a woman was killed every week( 52 femicides in 52 weeks) and, In Canada, a woman was killed every 2 days; and
WHEREAS 30% of women report having experienced a sexual assault since the age of 15, and 44% of women report having experienced some form of intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime; and
WHEREAS Gender-Based Violence impacts individuals, families, and communities, and it also places a costly burden on the health, social, and justice systems. In 2009, it was estimated that IPV had an economic cost of $7.4 billion annually and sexual violence a cost of $4.8 billion annually; and
WHEREAS The Crisis hotline calls are up 600% from previous, and the funding and volunteerism is at an all time low.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:
- THAT The City of Brantford Council DECLARE Gender-based violence and Intimate Partner Violence an epidemic in the City of Brantford; and
- THAT The City of Brantford Council RECOMMEND that gender-based violence and intimate-partner violence be declared an epidemic in the Province of Ontario; and
- THAT The City of Brantford Council REQUEST that Femicide be added as a term to the Criminal Code of Canada and state its position to the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General Canada, and the Prime Minister of Canada; and
- THAT The City of Brantford Council REQUEST that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and all municipalities and regions in Ontario declare a gender-based and intimate partner violence epidemic across the country; and
- THAT The City of Brantford REQUEST that the provincial and federal governments rightfully declare intimate partner and gender-based violence an epidemic and enact the additional 85 recommendations from the inquest into the 2015 murders of Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kuzyk and Nathalie Warmerdam in Renfrew County, Ontario, which provide a roadmap to preventing intimate partner violence from escalating to femicide; and
- THAT The City of Brantford REQUEST that the provincial and federal governments provide the necessary support to municipalities, regions and their emergency and social services to meaningfully address the gender-based violence and intimate-partner violence epidemic; and
- THAT staff BE DIRECTED to consult with community organizations in the development of a Community IPV Action Plan, to be provided to City Council prior to March 31 2024, and that this plan include:
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- Input from community organizations regarding needed resources to address the local IPV epidemic
- Community-wide awareness campaign to highlight local IPV impacts and available supports
- Evidence-based approaches to engage and support youth who at risk of experiencing or committing IVP
- Opportunities for Brantford City Council to support and advocate for community organizations that are addressing this epidemic
H. THAT a copy of this resolution BE FORWARDED to the MP, MPP and Brant County Health Unit.