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Unifor is renewing the call for British Columbia to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic. This renewed call follows the release of an independent review by Dr. Kim Stanton in which the first recommendation states, “that the BC government declare that gender-based violence is a provincial epidemic.”
“Intimate partner violence is a public emergency,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Declaring gender-based violence an epidemic acknowledges the scale and severity of the problem and enables governments to take concrete actions to enact protections and support survivors.”
The recommendation on the declaration of gender-based violence as an epidemic aligns with Unifor’s campaign to recognize intimate partner violence as a public health crisis. In British Columbia, Unifor has joined a coalition calling on the BC government to declare gender-based violence an epidemic.
The BC legal system review, led by Dr. Kim Stanton, underscores the systemic failures that survivors face when seeking justice. The report’s first recommendation – to declare gender-based violence an epidemic – echoes the demands of survivors, frontline workers, and advocates across the province including the BC Coalition of which Unifor is a member of.
“It is no surprise that declaring gender-based violence an epidemic is the first recommendation of Dr. Stanton’s report,” said Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle. “Unifor is proud to stand with coalition partners to call on the BC government to act now. This declaration is a vital first step towards building a safer, more just province.”
Unifor’s ongoing campaign highlights the devastating toll of intimate partner violence across the country. In Canada, every six days, a woman is killed by her current or former intimate partner. Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, and disabled women face disproportionately high rates of violence. Unifor will continue to work in Coalition with organizations in BC to urge the BC government to heed the report’s recommendations and demonstrate its commitment to ending gender-based violence.
