The members of the Canadian Network of Women's Shelters and Transition Houses signed a letter to the Federal Government to ask that Bill C-19, Ending the Long-gun Registry Act, be voted against. This is done on behalf of the often unheard voices of victims of domestic violence. Guns are used to control, instill fear and intimidate by abusers. Rifles and shotguns are the most commonly used weapons in gun-related spousal homicides in Canada.
In its response to the Law Commission of Ontario (LCO)'s proposed reforms to the family law system, OAITH raises some challenges about underlying assumptions in the LCO proposal. First, that violence against women will routinely be accurately identified, and second that when violence against women is identified, the family law system will respond appropriately. OAITH emphasizes the importance of recognizing intersectional barriers to family law justice, the lack of resources clearly dedicated to making changes effectively, the changing Ontario family, and the impact of social policy and budget cuts on women's lives.
On November 25, 2004, OAITH wrote an Open Letter to Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario, to raise issues about women's experiences of violenece in recogniition of the International Day for the Eliminitation of Violence Against Women. Issues raised were: Social Assistance, Housing, and the Domestic Violence Action Plan.
In November, 2006, OAITH responded to Bill 107: Human Rights Code Amendment Act (2006) to focus how to make sure that reforms in the Ontario Human Rights Commission would provide a system that supports and benefits women who experience violence and oppression. Particular areas of concern include: direct access to hearings; legal supports for complainants; independence and integrity of the human rights protection system; powers of the Commission; adequate powers given to new Racism and Disabilities Secretariats; and options for groups and advocates to make complaints or intervene.
OAITH wrote to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty on November 1, the beginning of Women Abuse Awareness Month in Ontario, to request support for publicly opposing the ending of the federal long-gun registry and destruction of all related records. While the debate has largely focused on hunters and rural communities, little attention has been paid to violence against women in relation to registering and recording weapons. Various studies have shown that weapons are often used to threaten women and that the risk of lethality is higher when an abuser owns or has easy access to a gun. It will not be possible to continue using this as a screening mechanism in risk assessment if there is no registry or record of gun ownership.
This is a Social Policy Research Paper for the Take Action Project, a public policy initiative to address women's poverty and violence against women. The paper examines the intersections of violence against women and poverty. Using a partciipatory action research model with consulations with partners and interviews with women on their experiences of poverty and violence. The paper describes the findings of the multiple factors that affect women's lives, causes and experiences of poverty for women, and how these factors intersect with experiences of violence.
Produced by the United Way Toronto, Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children (METRAC), and the Woman Abuse Counctil of Toronto (WACT).