Mr. Speaker, today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we pause to reflect on the devastating issue of gender-based violence and its impact on individuals, families and communities right across Canada.

Everyone deserves to live free from violence, yet many people across the country experience it every single day because of their gender, gender expression, gender identity or how others perceive them. This is more than a violation of human rights; it is a painful reality that no one should have to face.

While anyone can become a victim of gender-based violence, data shows the most vulnerable groups include indigenous women and girls; Black and racialized women; immigrant and refugee women; 2SLGBTQI+ people; women with disabilities; and women living in northern, rural and remote communities.

Gender-based violence has had devastating impacts on individuals for far too long, hurting not just individuals but families and entire communities in Canada. For instance, 44% of women in Canada have experienced intimate partner violence at least once since the age of 15. In 2023, 187 women and girls in Canada were victims of gender-related homicide; that is one woman every two days. These are more than statistics; these are real women, women in our community, our colleagues, our sisters, mothers, daughters, each one deserving of justice and a life free from violence.

In recognition of this, we launched the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, commemorating 33 years of dedicated efforts to end gender-based violence in all its forms.

The 16 days of activism against gender-based violence was started by activists at the inaugural Women's Global Leadership Institute in 1991. Since then, the campaign has called on all Canadians to recognize and call out violence when they see it, to speak up and take action against it. However, there is still so much work ahead of us.

Today, we stand in solidarity with victims and survivors of gender-based violence and their families, and we commit to doing better.

In response, our government launched the federal, provincial and territorial national action plan to end gender-based violence in 2022. This 10-year plan is backed by a $525 million investment to support provinces and territories in addressing this critical issue. Agreements are in place with each province and territory to help them tackle their specific challenges and priorities, based on the five key areas of the national action plan.

Later this year, the first annual national progress report will be published. It will demonstrate the impacts that these investments have made under the national action plan to end gender-based violence.

In 2017, the Government of Canada launched “It’s Time: Canada’s Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence.” Since its launch, the government has invested more than $800 million and $44 million annually for the following years. This includes $55 million for indigenous women and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations to offer gender-based violence prevention programs and $30 million for crisis hotlines to help manage the increased call volumes during the pandemic and prevent further escalation of gender-based violence.

Collaboration in the fight against gender-based violence goes beyond any single department or organization; it calls on all of us to step up.

This year, Indigenous Services Canada worked in collaboration with indigenous peoples and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to commit funding for the construction and operation of 19 emergency shelters and 16 transitional homes across Canada.

Justice Canada is supporting survivors by strengthening Canada's bail regime to better address intimate partner violence and by improving the law on publication bans.

Public Safety is strengthening Canada's response to human trafficking through the renewal of the national strategy to combat human trafficking.

The onus to fight gender-based violence cannot just fall on one government or one department. We are taking a holistic whole-of-government approach to address this issue. It is on all of us to prevent gender-based violence from happening.

That is why this year's theme for the 16 days of activism is “Come Together, Act Now”. It highlights how crucial everyone's involvement is in changing the social norms, attitudes and behaviours that contribute to gender-based violence. True change is only possible when we unite. That is why coming together and acting now is so important. It is not just about today, but about creating generational change that will last for years to come.

It is only possible by continuing to work across all levels of government and with community organizations that will take real action and tackle gender-based violence at its core. We owe it to every victim and survivor to bring them justice, to speak up and take action against gender-based violence in all its forms.

Marci Ien

$481,485.00