"This analysis demonstrates the significant impacts that COVID-19 has had on shelter spaces,
and services. It shows that no matter the size or location of the shelter, gender-based violence/
violence against women shelters were not designed to thrive under the public health directives of
a pandemic. In the first instance we hope that the recommendations provide some guidance for
immediate ways to offset some of the worst impacts and support better experiences of service for
women and staff. Going forward, these results can be used to advocate for public health protocols
that better align with the values of gender-based violence/violence against women shelters
including supporting the funding of renovations that create more flexible spaces for future crises."
This literature review was compiled in May 2020 as a supplemental document to attendees of the “Virtual VAW Work in the Time of COVID-19” webinar hosted by OAITH’s COVID-19 Working Group on May 20th, 2020. This literature review provides a quick snapshot of resources in a variety of formats which related to violence against women work within a virtual context, during COVID-19 in Ontario. We greatly appreciate the support of Lakehead University in the compilation of this review.
This report was prepared by The Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH) COVID-19 Working Group. OAITH
is a member-based coalition made up of VAW women shelters, VAW second stage housing programs and VAW community-based
women's organizations across Ontario. OAITH works towards ending all forms of gender-based violence and oppressions through
advocacy, education, research and training.
In response to the pandemic, OAITH formed the COVID-19 Working Group in March 2020 to assist VAW services and the survivors
they serve, in navigating challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, state of emergency and related impacts. All members
of OAITH were invited to participate and contribute their expertise and resources related to social media, resources, and genderbased
violence within the COVID-19 crisis context. The first meeting of the Working Group was held virtually on March 26th 2020.
To gain a greater sense of the challenges and needs of VAW organizations and frontline workers during the pandemic, on April
14th, 2020 the Working Group distributed an electronic survey to all OAITH members focused on VAW Work in the Time of COVID-
19. All OAITH members were asked to distribute the anonymous survey to all staff and management at all organizational levels.
Questions were largely qualitative and a thematic analysis was completed.
"In Canada, people who use drugs are dying in record numbers. Between January 2016 and September 2019, more than 14,700 people died of apparent opioid overdoses in this country. In Ontario alone, more than 1450 people died from opioid-related causes in 2018. The overwhelming majority of these overdoses and deaths involve fentanyl or its analogues, a potent drug that is now present in many street drugs. Never before have we experienced an overdose crisis of this magnitude, which is only exacerbated by the criminalization of personal drug possession.
In May 2017, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act (“the Good Samaritan law”) was passed as a partial response to this ongoing crisis. The law amended the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to give immunity from prosecution for the offence of simple possession of a controlled substance to anyone who calls 911 to report an overdose as well as to anyone who is on the scene when emergency services arrive.
In 2019, with the support of a research grant from the Law Foundation of Ontario, the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network (HIV Legal Network) embarked upon a research study in Ontario to evaluate familiarity with the Good Samaritan law, and what people who have experience with drug use believe to be true about this law. In the midst of the ongoing overdose crisis in Ontario and across Canada, it is critical to understand people’s awareness of this law, how (or whether) they interact with it, and how they experience its real-world impacts."
These recommendations were developed by OAITH in collaboration with Dr. Katreena Scott, Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children.
Concerns addressed within this document include:
- Issues relating to initial police intervention in domestic violence incidents, and the prevalence of release with promise to appear, or release with conditions after charges are laid.
- Issues relating to domestic violence offender early releases and the risk of harm to victims of gender-based violence.
- Limited access to support and intervention for perpetrators and potential perpetrators of gender-based violence
- Immediate consideration of COVID-19 implications for Partner Assault Response (PAR) program funding models and implications for survivor safety
For each concern outlined, contextual background information is provided along with evidence-based concrete recommendations.