Nancy Smith says gender-based violence is a human rights issue //

International Women’s Day is a time to reflect and recognize how far we have left to go

International Women’s Day is about honouring women. It is a time to reflect on the progress made toward achieving gender equality and a time to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. It is also a time to reflect on the frightening reality of gender-based violence faced by women and girls in Canada. The following statistics are from femicideincanada.ca.

Women in Canada are more likely than men to experience intimate partner violence. According to 2018 police-reported data, women accounted for almost eight in 10 victims (79 per cent) of intimate partner violence.

Women in Canada are also more likely than men to be sexually assaulted. Between 2009 and 2014, the vast majority (87 per cent) of police-reported sexual assault victims were women or girls, most of whom (70 per cent) were under the age of 25.

As well, girls and young women in Canada are at a higher risk of experiencing a violent crime. In 2017, the rate of police-reported violent crimes in Canada was higher for girls and women aged 24 and younger than their male counterparts.

Violence against females peaked overall at age 15, with a rate of 2,684 victims per 100,000 population. In addition, girls and young women in Canada are also more likely to experience sexual offences. In 2017, the rates for police-reported sexual offences were much higher among girls and young women than boys and young men (407 versus 58 incidents per 100,000 population).

Senior women are also at a heightened risk of gender-based violence. In 2018, police-reported data indicated that women accounted for 58 per cent of seniors who experienced family violence, and those senior women were most often victimized by a spouse (32 per cent).

The IWD 2021 campaign theme is #ChooseToChallenge — to choose to challenge “established” norms of gender bias and gender inequality. It is also a time to #ChooseToChallenge and call out and end genderbased violence in all its forms. Through Interval House of Hamilton’s (IHOH) MentorAction’s Be More Than a Bystander, male allies have aligned with us in supporting our lead and community efforts to eliminate gender-based violence.

Over the past four years, IHOH MentorAction has established Be More Than a Bystander program partnerships with the Hamilton Bulldogs, McMaster University Athletics, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Forge FC and Sport Hamilton, to spread the message of ending gender-based violence.

Through public service announcements, billboards, school programs and sports programs, we are re-educating our communities and increasing awareness of everyone’s responsibility to end genderbased violence.

Elite sports are a powerful cultural influencer to end gender-based violence. Be More Than A Bystander engages organized sports teams to mentor youth and helps build healthy masculinity messaging into athletics aligned with gender-based violence prevention strategies within community-wide initiatives.

Furthering the work of MentorAction, we have established collaborations with Hamilton Police Services, McMaster University Security, White Rabbit Treatment

Homes and Hamilton Jewish Federation to name a few. Participating organizations attend intensive training and are invested and aligned in ending gender-based violence, supporting the safety and well-being of women and girls through their workplaces and community.

Through our MentorAction website, we invite everyone to become a Steel City Ally — signing up and making a commitment to ending gender-based violence through positive action to promote violence-free living — every day.

The steadfast commitment of all our partners, collaborators and allies is a clear demonstration of unwavering efforts in our own community that gender-based violence must end.

Gender-based violence is not a woman’s issue — it is a human rights issue. It involves everyone and everyone must be dedicated and genuinely invested in eradicating gender-based violence.

For 35 years, Interval House of Hamilton has provided services to women with or without children who have experienced abuse, violence or human trafficking. With the inclusion of our male allies who align with our mission, vision and values, we are working together to eliminate gender-based violence.

This year on International Women’s Day, let us all #ChooseToChallenge to join MentorAction’s Be More Than A Bystander to end gender-based violence in all its forms and in all our workplaces and communities. The time to act is now. Sign up to become a Steel City Ally at mentoraction.org.

Nancy Smith is executive director of Interval House of Hamilton.