Status of Women committee  In my situation, it was the GPS on her phone. He ended up actually at the shelter in the parking lot. A staff member was leaving and demanded that she.... He didn't know what that building was—

Status of Women committee  All right. In our situation, he showed up at the shelter. He was able to find the shelter through her GPS on her phone. He demanded that the staff go and get his wife out of there. He didn't know what the building was. He figured it was some sort of government building, but she needed to come out.

Status of Women committee  I think the biggest thing would be to suggest that stuff be implemented to help men hold other men accountable so that they take some responsibility in addressing male violence with men. That's kind of what I'm thinking in terms of that stuff. I think there's a lot we can be doing, but right now I feel that there's a readiness within the sector to engage men in a very different way, a very hands-on way.

Status of Women committee  There are some different things we're doing. There's a project we started with child protection agencies a couple of years ago as a pilot that looks as though it's going to.... Again, that's going to be based on whether or not there's funding available to do it. We took VAW shelter workers.

Status of Women committee  We put workers from the violence against women shelters into the CAS offices, working with their DV team but going out on the very first call with the CAS child protection workers. They identify that they are a violence against women worker. For all intents and purposes, we have found this to be wonderful—if I can use the words “wonderful” and “child protection” in the same sentence.

Status of Women committee  Actually, no. I said that we're at a place now where we're ready, and I think the landscape is changing in terms of doing work with men and engaging them in the work we do. We have not moved on doing that, other than in the schools, obviously, through working with young boys on prevention.

Status of Women committee  Again, I guess it's where they have the power to look at legislation that is about communication, that is about policies that govern.... Whoever is developing these technologies, if the government is overseeing it, like they do with Rogers about what goes on your television, it's those kinds of things.

Status of Women committee  Yes. One of the things that's happening now is that they're just charging them both. There's definitely more dual charging happening. Often it's because she's defending herself, right? But it becomes a he-said-she-said issue, a situation that happens quite a bit now. It doesn't feel like it's gotten any better.

Status of Women committee  Yes.

Status of Women committee  If the powers that be have the ability to review laws or policies, or if legislation comes out to include those kinds of things in strategies to make sure that this is being looked at.... It's using a “violence against women” lens on everything that you do, so that everything that is put forth or that people want to discuss or talk about is put through the lens of how it is going to impact women fleeing violence or end their living in violence.

Status of Women committee  What I was talking about in particular was the PARS program, which is the partner assault response program that is done provincially, through the courts and so forth. I'm not aware of what the federal government implements when there is violence in the family or what is involved at a federal level for abusers when they get out of jail.

Status of Women committee  They mean having to keep going back. I've never gone anywhere but that somebody has said, “Oh, that person is not here? Well, come back in a couple of weeks.” And we'll come back and it will be a couple of weeks before a bench warrant is issued. It's not being able to get things done in a timely manner that keeps her safe.

Status of Women committee  Even the system itself.... There is a court right now in Toronto, modelled after one in Buffalo, in which the criminal and family judges—there are a couple of judges—are hearing both sides. It's a domestic violence court. They're hearing both sides, so that they get the criminal case part and they get the family case part and then hopefully are able to make a more informed decision around the safety of the family, the safety of the children.

Status of Women committee  Yes, it was in Buffalo.

Status of Women committee  Yes, for sure.