2021 Transition binder two: Gender-based violence (GBV)

3. Gender-Based Violence (GBV)

National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence

Background

While violence affects people of all genders, ages, religions, cultures, ethnicities, geographic locations,

and socio-economic backgrounds, populations more at risk of gender-based violence (GBV) include women and girls, Indigenous Peoples, 2SLGBTQQIA+ and gender non-binary people, those living in northern, rural, and remote communities, women with disabilities, Black and other racialized women, and younger women.  

Federal GBV Strategy

Following Budget 2017, It’s Time: Canada’s Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence (GBV Strategy) was launched. Budgets 2017, 2018 and 2019 committed over $200 million over 5 years, and over $40 million per year ongoing for GBV Strategy initiatives in six federal departments and agencies, including Public Safety Canada; Public Health Agency of Canada; Department of National Defence; Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; and WAGE. Of that, WAGE is receiving $108.5M between 2017-18 and 2022-23, and $22M ongoing, for public education and awareness, data and research, programming, and the establishment and operation of the WAGE-based GBV Knowledge Centre.

The GBV Strategy’s initiatives are organized across three pillars:

• Preventing Gender-Based Violence,
• Supporting Survivors and their Families, and
• Promoting Responsive Legal and Justice Systems.

Progress is highlighted in the Strategy’s annual reports.

GBV National Action Plan

In December 2019, building   on the foundation laid by the GBV Strategy, the Department  moved forward to develop a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence (GBV National Action Plan), with a focus on ensuring that anyone facing GBV has reliable and timely access to protection and services, no matter where they live.

At their 38^th Annual Meeting held in January 2021, the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers endorsed the Joint Declaration for a Canada Free of Gender-Based Violence. Through this declaration, governments confirmed their common vision, principles, and goals for the development of the GBV National Action Plan. Québec supports the general principles of the Joint Declaration and will continue to be active in the efforts to end GBV by prioritizing its own actions and measures. It also intends to continue to share information and best practices with other governments on this issue.

Current Status

COVID-19

Since April 2020, WAGE received $90 million to fund over 1,200 organizations across Canada, including women’s shelters, Indigenous off-reserve shelters, sexual assault centres, women’s organizations and other organizations providing supports and services to those experiencing gender-based violence to ensure continuity of services during this challenging time. Since April 2020, more than 1.1 million women and children have a place to turn because of this funding.

Budget 2021

Budget 2021 committed $601.3 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, to advance towards the development of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. This includes $415 million that will be provided to WAGE:

• $200 million over 2 years to support gender-based violence organizations;
• $105 million over 5 years to enhance Gender-Based Violence programs, for initiatives to engage men & boys; stop human trafficking, support at-risk populations and survivors, and provide support for testing and implementing best-practices;
• $14 million over 5 years for a dedicated secretariat to coordinate ongoing work towards the development & implementation of the Gender-Based Violence National Action Plan;
• $11 million over 5 years for gender-based violence research and knowledge mobilization;
• $55 million over 5 years to bolster the capacity of Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations to provide gender-based violence prevention programming aimed at addressing the root causes of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+people; and
• $30 million over 5 years so crisis hotlines can serve the urgent needs of more Canadians to prevent the escalation of gender-based violence.

Human Trafficking

Background

Human trafficking is a highly gendered crime and a form of gender-based violence as it disproportionately impacts women and girls, at-risk populations, as well as their families and communities.

Canada has been identified as a source, destination, and transit country for human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labour. Women and girls accounted for 97% of police-identified victims in Canada between 2009 and 2018 ─ 45% of all victims are between 18 and 24 years old, and 28% are under 18. In 2019 specifically, 95% of human trafficking victims were women and girls. More than one in five (21%) victims were girls below the age of 18, and 43% of victims were young women aged 18 to 43. Moreover, qualitative data, though limited, suggests that some populations are at higher risk to being trafficked, including Indigenous women and girls, homeless youth and those in care, newcomer youth, racialized youth, 2SLGBTQQIA+ youth and economically marginalized youth. Data from 2019 further suggests that both the number and rate of police-reported human trafficking incidents has been generally trending upward. 

On September 4, 2019, the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking was launched, with investments of $57.22 million over five years and $10.28 million per year ongoing. The Strategy  includes a number of new and expanded initiatives by Public Safety, Canada Border Services Agency, Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada and Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada. It aims to:

• Empower victims and survivors to regain self-confidence and control over their lives;
• Prevent more of these crimes from taking place;
• Better protect those who are most at-risk of being trafficked;
• Prosecute human traffickers for their heinous crimes; and
• Embrace partnerships with provinces and territories and other organizations to maximize impact.

Through the National Strategy, WAGE received $10 million over 5 years, starting in 2020-21, and $2 million per year ongoing to develop the Continuum of Care Prevention and Interventions for Vulnerable Populations initiative. The initiative will fund eligible organizations to:

• develop, deliver, and test innovative prevention programs for at-risk populations, including women and girls, Indigenous women and girls, LGBTQ2 and gender non-binary people, children and youth; and,
• develop, deliver, and test innovative short-term continuum of care interventions to support survivors while they transition out of human trafficking, reintegrate into their communities, and begin their healing and recovery process.

In July 2020, Public Safety and WAGE worked together to launch a call for proposals for projects under the National Strategy.

Current Status

As a result of the July 2020 call for proposals, WAGE is funding 43 projects, for a total of $14 million (additional funding to support these projects was provided from the Women’s Program and Gender-Based Violence Program).

Budget 2021 proposed to invest $105 million over 5 years for WAGE to enhance its GBV Program, with funding going to initiatives that engage men and boys, increase funding for initiatives to stop human trafficking, including support for at-risk populations and victims and survivors.