TORONTO —
There has been a surge in femicide – the gender- and sex-related killing of women and girls – around the world in recent years, with the pandemic playing a role, says a Canadian gender-based violence expert.
Repeated lockdowns and limited access to services and shelters, as well as tense home environments, all a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, have contributed to a steady rise in femicide, according to University of Guelph researcher Mryna Dawson.
“The numbers are showing increases over the three years – pre-COVID-19, beginning of COVID-19 and as COVID-19 continues – and in that context, it is something that we should be concerned about,” she said in a news release.
“Not only because the numbers are increasing, but because these numbers are only capturing women and girls who were killed. This does not capture the increase in those who have and continue to experience violence.”
Those previously mentioned numbers paint a bleak picture. According to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability, of which Dawson is the director, there were 92 women and girls killed in the first six months of 2021 compared to 78 during the same period in 2020 and 60 during the same period in 2019 across the country.
“That’s an increase of 32 women and girls killed from 2019 to 2021,” she said. “Canada is not the only country experiencing these continual increases in numbers. It’s a global trend.”
It’s possible the uptick may be the result of changing dynamics in the home due to lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, which could have led to bad domestic situations for victims of violence becoming even worse.
“These orders do not suddenly turn previously non-violent men into violent men,” Dawson said. “Instead, it’s likely exacerbated the violence some women and children have already been living with and limiting their options in terms of dealing with it like they may have done before the pandemic.”
There are also fewer options available for those who may be in need of services and shelters due to restrictions brought on by the pandemic.
In addition, women have been more negatively affected than men during the pandemic in terms of job losses and reduced access to childcare.
“We know that a key contributor to male violence against women is gender inequality and the pandemic has significantly increased inequality,” Dawson said. “Throughout the pandemic, women have lost more jobs, are picking up childcare responsibilities and stepping in to educate children when schools close. This is what disaster patriarchy looks like. When there is a disaster, women are typically impacted more profoundly than men, materially speaking and in terms of experiences of violence. They are closely connected.”
“Living in fear of violence is a reality for too many Canadian women,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement Thursday. “More than four in 10 women in Canada have experienced some form of psychological, physical, or sexual violence from an intimate partner. Some women and girls continue to be at a higher risk of gender-based violence due to the discrimination and additional barriers they face because of their sexuality, race, disability, or social and economic situation.
“Since the outbreak of COVID-19, there have been escalated rates of gender-based violence around the world. The social and economic impact of the public health emergency has resulted in a shadow pandemic. It has underscored the systemic issues that lead to violence, as well as the gaps in support to protect and prevent those at risk from harm.”
Without real societal changes, Dawson says, rates of femicide will remain stable and possibly increase with variables such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While the pandemic has changed the dynamics of violence in some ways, the experiences, consequences and solutions have not changed significantly, so everything that feminists and anti-violence against women organizations have been saying for decades still applies,” she said. “Gender equality or equity is key. We cannot fully prevent violence without addressing the contributions of misogyny and male entitlement.”
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If you are experiencing domestic abuse and seeking help you can access the following service:
Assaulted Women’s Helpline: toll-free line 24/7 at 1-866-863-0511, or online Monday to Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
EDMONTON – Homicide detectives in Edmonton are investigating the death of a man who was found injured on a footbridge that spans the North Saskatchewan River.
The Edmonton Police Service says EMS responded at around 9:15 p.m. Friday to the Dudley B. Menzies Bridge, which is a suspended footpath underneath the LRT bridge across the river.
A 68-year-old man was taken to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later.
An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.
The LRT bridge and footpath are near the High Level Bridge which overlooks them, and police say there were numerous pedestrians and e-bike riders in the area at the time.
They’re asking anyone with information about the case to contact investigators immediately, and that anyone with GoPro cameras or similar devices who was in the area at the time should also come forward.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 12, 2024.
EDMONTON – Homicide detectives in Edmonton are investigating the death of a man who was found injured on a footbridge that spans the North Saskatchewan River.
The Edmonton Police Service says EMS responded at around 9:15 p.m. Friday to the Dudley B. Menzies Bridge, which is a suspended footpath underneath the LRT bridge across the river.
A 68-year-old man was taken to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later.
An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.
The LRT bridge and footpath are near the High Level Bridge which overlooks them, and police say there were numerous pedestrians and e-bike riders in the area at the time.
They’re asking anyone with information about the case to contact investigators immediately, and that anyone with GoPro cameras or similar devices who was in the area at the time should also come forward.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 12, 2024.
NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. – Police in New Westminster, B.C., say they have arrested a person suspected of stabbing two people at a Skytrain station in the city.
They say numerous people had called to report a stabbing on Columbia Street, outside the station around 6:45 p.m. on Friday.
Police say officers rushed to the scene and arrested someone matching the suspect’s description.
They say investigators confirmed that two people had been stabbed, one had suffered minor injuries while the second victim was left with serious but non-life threatening injuries.
Police say the suspect remains in custody.
Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the incident and have not yet spoken to police to reach out.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 12, 2024.
