The Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia sign bilateral agreement to end gender-based violence

From: Women and Gender Equality Canada

News release

December 14, 2023 – Halifax, Nova Scotia — Women and Gender Equality Canada

Living a life free from violence is a fundamental human right. Unfortunately, gender-based violence (GBV) continues to be a significant barrier to achieving gender equality in Canada. It is one of the most pervasive, deadly, and deeply rooted human rights violations of our time that affects people of all backgrounds, genders, and ages.

Today, Lisa Hepfner, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, and the Honourable Jill Balser, Nova Scotia’s Minister Responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women, announced a historic bilateral agreement. The federal government will be investing over $18.3 million over four years to support the implementation of the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence in Nova Scotia.

This comprehensive plan reflects our shared commitment to preventing gender-based violence, while empowering communities through community-led solutions. The Plan is focused on three priority areas: increasing prevention efforts; reaching underserved and at-risk populations; and stabilizing the gender-based violence sector.

Launched in November 2022 by Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers responsible for the Status of Women, the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence is a 10-year plan that sets a framework to have a Canada free of gender-based violence – a Canada that supports victims, survivors, and their families from coast to coast to coast. The National Action Plan is informed by over 1,000 recommendations from Indigenous partners, victims and survivors, frontline organizations, and experts.

This funding will support the work Nova Scotia is doing in addressing gender-based violence while developing and implementing culturally appropriate supports and services for Indigenous communities and African Nova Scotian communities. The Government of Nova Scotia, working alongside partners throughout the province, will build upon the extensive work already underway to increase awareness and prevention efforts, as well as enhance the services and supports for victims, survivors, underserved populations, and populations at-risk of experiencing GBV.

This announcement is among a series of bilateral agreements that have been signed between the federal government and provinces and territories. It is in addition to the funding provided to Nova Scotia last year to support crisis hotlines.

Coordinated and collaborative actions from federal, provincial, and territorial governments are key in effectively preventing and addressing gender-based violence. Provincial and territorial governments will continue working together in partnership with survivors, Indigenous partners, civil society, front-line service providers, municipalities, the private sector and researchers to implement the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence within their jurisdictions in a way that responds to the evolving needs and emerging issues of survivors and victims of GBV.

Quotes

“One year ago, we signed the endorsement of the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence right here in Nova Scotia, and today’s announcement brings us one step closer to a future where everyone can live free from violence. By partnering with the provincial government, we are making sure that these supports are strong, culturally relevant and respond to the needs of communities in Nova Scotia.”

Lisa Hepfner, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth

“Every Nova Scotian deserves to be safe and secure in their homes, public spaces, where they work, where they play, and online. Through Standing Together, the Mass Casualty Commission’s final report, and the Calls for Justice, we have a strong foundation for the National Action Plan and we are ready to move from planning to action.”

The Honourable Jill Balser, Minister Responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women in Nova Scotia

Quick facts

  • Since 2021, the Government of Canada has committed $1.14 billion to advance toward a National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence, including $539.3 million over five years to support provinces and territories in their efforts to implement the National Action Plan.

  • More than 11 million people in Canada have experienced intimate partner violence, a type of gender-based violence, at least once since the age of 15.

  • In 2009, it was estimated that intimate partner violence has an economic cost of $7.4 billion annually, and sexual violence, a cost of $4.8 billion annually. It is further estimated that Canadian businesses lose millions due to decreased productivity and individuals being unable to work as a result of GBV.

  • In Nova Scotia, as in almost all provinces and territories, women with disabilities are almost twice as likely as women without disabilities to experience physical or sexual assault by an intimate partner.  

  • Between 2009 and 2021 in Canada, the rate of homicide against First Nations, Métis and Inuit women and girls was six times higher than the rate among their non-Indigenous counterparts.

  • Among the provinces, Nova Scotia has the highest rates of criminal harassment, also referred to as stalking, or harassing communications (e.g., repeated phone calls) in rural areas, with about three-quarters of victims of these crimes being women.

  • Between 2010 and 2020, Nova Scotia had one of the highest average annual rates of human trafficking in Canada, with 6.2 reported incidents per 100,000 population in 2020 alone. The victims of human trafficking are predominantly women and girls, with Indigenous women and girls especially overrepresented. 

  • In March 2023, the Mass Casualty Commission, the independent public inquiry created to examine the April 18-19, 2020 mass casualty in Nova Scotia, released its final report. One of the report’s key themes is gender-based violence, including using primary prevention efforts to address its root causes.  

Associated links

Contacts

Nanki Singh
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth
819-665-2632
Nanki.Singh@fegc-wage.gc.ca

Media Relations
Women and Gender Equality Canada
819-420-6530
FEGC.Media.WAGE@fegc-wage.gc.ca

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