Promise and perils of Canada’s new action plan to end gender based violence

Last year it was consulted by Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) and worked with a multisectoral, pan-Canadian coalition of anti-violence leaders to develop a strategic roadmap.2 That document highlighted the needs of the most marginalised victims of gender based violence and emphasised that such violence affects every facet of our society. [...]it is relevant not only to federal government departments such as WAGE but also to government services responsible for immigration, labour, housing, criminal justice, health, and more.2 The effects of gender based violence on physical and mental health are profound and are compounded by unequal access to healthcare and support services that can respond appropriately to incidents of violence.3 This is particularly an issue for women, transgender people, and gender diverse people facing barriers associated with race and Indigeneity, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or living in rural and remote communities.2 These social inequities were laid bare by the covid-19 public health crisis, which was a stark reminder that a coherent and equitable response to a pandemic requires commitment from every sector and level of government. Aside from focusing on responding to gender based violence among Canada’s most marginalised people, both plans build on previous federal efforts driven by stakeholders’ calls to action,814 have been dismissed as “aspirational,”913 and have been chastised for their tardiness.213 In the case of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, the United Nations had called for governments to have plans “adopted and under way” by 2015.15 This new action plan represents a crucial step forward in tackling the crisis of gender based violence, but it may be criticised for paying lip service to the issue if it is not actionable, appropriately funded, and subject to review—which will require independent oversight and accountability.2 The importance of monitoring and evaluation is highlighted in the action plan, but specific mechanisms are currently lacking.1 Countries in Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and other regions have previously adopted national action plans on gender based violence, and their successes and pitfalls in implementation and evaluation are documented. Global and regional estimates of violence against women: prevalence and health effects of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence. 2013. https://apps.who.int/iris/rest/bitstreams/302733/retrieve 13 Native Women’s Association of Canada.