This report looks at the impact of the 2012 Ontario budget cuts to the Community Start-Up and Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB) announced for January 2013. The CSUMB is designed to assist people receiving social assistance who have large or unexpected housing-related costs. Access to safe and affordable housing is a key determinant of health and the loss of the CSUMB has the potential to increase the number of low income Ontarians who are precariously houses or are homeless. This paper looks at the potential health implications of the cuts through an equity lens.
Produced by: Wellesley Institute, the Income Security Advocacy Centre, StreetHealth, Association of Ontario Health Centres, Peterboroough County-City Health Unit, ACTO
The Impacts of Recent Law Reforms on Abused Women Involved in the Family Court Process in Ontario: An Environmental Scan of Violence Against Women Service Providers explores the intersection of some of the legal issues women face (eg: mandatory charging practices, dual charging practices, impact related to changes to immigration and refugee process due to Bill C-11) and the family court experiences of women who have experienced violence.
Luke's Place Support and Resource Centre for Women and Children in collaboration with Action ontarienne contre la violence faite aux femmes and the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic. (November 2011)
This paper examines how relational distance, of the closeness of the relationship between intimate partners at the time violence occurs or is reported, impacts on court and legal decisions. The author examines whether 'separation' killings attract harsher sanctions than 'intact' killings, using 144 cases of intimate partner femicide in Toronto. The results demonstrate that offenders who kill estranged partners are treated more severely than those who kill current partners. Analyzing possible ways to interpret this differential legal treatment highlights assumptions that may undelrie such a punishment rationale.
This study identifies case characteristics of abused women in child protection services caseload. Results indicate that abused women are significantly more likely than non-abused women to have mental and physical health issues such as substance use, mental illness, iimpaired mental, emotional or intellectual capacity to care for children, a chronic medical conditions. They are also more likely to rely on social assistance and be unemployed, and less likely to have reliable social supports in place. Children of abused women are more likely to be in the care of child protection authorities.
Informed by two United Nations (UN) Handbooks on state approaches to VAW, this report evaluates: 1) how existing policy and legislation in Canada is working to effectively prevent violence, protect survivors or hold perpetrators accountable; and, 2) inconsistencies between how policies are written and adopted and their practical applications. The report used the UN Handbooks to identify policy areas, including:
- government strategies and action plans
- protection, support, assistance to complainants/survivors
- criminal justice responses
- child protection
- prevention
- monitoring and evaluation initiatives related to VAW
- policies related to gender equality and social justice
The conclusion is that Canada needs a National Action Plan on VAW to address identified deficiencies, inconsistencies, and gaps for meeting the UN standards.
This report documents the Survivor Voices Project, which encouraged women abuse survivors to provide ideas, insights and advice about community services & organizing, policy development, and systemic change. This was done through group meetings and surveys across Ontario. The results indicated that women survivors wanted improvement in police services, social assistance, the court system, child welfare, and low-income housing. The report includes women's narratives, educational and advocacy campaign tools, statistics, and best practices.
On April 9, 2012, OAITH made a subjimssion on the Amendment to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations to raise concerns that the regulation meant to protect immigrant women from domestic violence will threaten women's right to safety and security rather than protect them from it. Further, OAITH is concerned that the impetus for the change is related to stop "marriage fraud" and, thus, fails to take the needs of women in abusive relationships into account.
This report documents and analyzes the experiences of abused women who are negotiating the family court system in 8 regions of Ontario. The study was undertaken to identify gaps in existing services and enhance accessibility and service quality for abused women in the court system. Recurring themes from the research include:
- serious, on-going abuse before and after separation
- concern for children
- inadequate support, safety, and information in navigation of family court process
- economic concerns
- accessibility of services to all women
Molly Dragiewicz and Wlater DeKerseredy
This report summarizes the proceedings of Summit III: Strengthening the Circle to End Violence Against Aboriginal Women. The summit was a gathering of government, organizational, and community leaders to discuss contemporary issues faced by Aboriginal women and develop strategies on how to overcome this violence. The workshops and key note speeches addressed topics ranging from violence, support from the Ministry of Community and Social Services, and Sisters in Spirit. They also developed goals for Aboriginal centred programs related to shelters, counselling, child welfare, and poverty reduction.
Report produced by the Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres (OFIFC), the Ontario Native Women's Association (ONWA), the Independent First Nations, and the Metis Nation of Ontario.