Good afternoon, Madam Chair and members of the committee.
Thank you for the invitation to participate in the study of intimate partner violence and family violence in Canada.
My name is Sylvie Bernatchez and I am the director of La Jonction pour elle, a help centre and shelter, and Maison Denise-Ruel, a second-stage house, both located in Lévis. I am accompanied by my colleague Chantal Tanguay, director of La Gîtée, a help centre and shelter, and Maison Louise, a second-stage house located in Thetford Mines in the Chaudière-Appalaches region.
We have chosen to speak to you about the experiences of women and their children living in a situation of spousal violence, about their words, but also about their pain. We spend time with the women in a shelter living environment. We share the same space 24/7. Relationships are formed, discussions take place. Living with women who have experienced similar events of violence and control enables these women to break the isolation. They feel less alone in going through these problems.
We bring women and their children into a safe place that offers listening, support and guidance. So we are in a position to observe the impact of violence on the victims. We talk about fear and guilt and the many losses they have suffered—for example, loss of self-confidence, loss of self-esteem, loss of family or friends, or job loss, not to mention health-related losses involving both physical and psychological health. These women are hurting in every sphere of their lives.
The women come to the shelter to escape from spousal violence temporarily. Often, the violence continues and worsens after the break-up, so the women experience violence again after the separation.
Regaining a decent life for themselves and their children involves constant work. They have to overcome major challenges. First, they have to find a place to move to. That is a challenge in itself when safety and financial capacity are important factors. The dynamic of spousal violence impoverishes women. Often, they are in debt or have lost their job. In fact, the financial aspect is one of the reasons why women hesitate to leave their spouse. It is often the spouse who earns the family's main income, or their own income is not sufficient to meet their family's needs.
Fear sets in and they feel trapped. Often, these women have to take sick leave because of their situation, and this pulls them into a cycle of powerlessness and vulnerability. Not only is it a challenge to find decent housing, but they also have to furnish it, change the children's school, given that they are changing neighbourhoods, arrange transportation, and cover other expenses arising from their situation. Added to that are the challenges relating to child custody in a context of violence that continues after the separation.
Yes, second-stage housing can accommodate nearly 500 women and children a year at the 34 member houses located across the 14 regions of Quebec. Unfortunately, that number is not sufficient to meet all of the demand. These women's need for safety will still exist after their time in a shelter.
The women in our houses need safety but they also need help and support in various spheres of their lives in order to regain power over their lives. In concrete terms, they need support in their efforts to build a new life for themselves and their children. Every sphere of their lives is affected. In their living environments and their help networks, these women run up against people's lack of understanding of the spousal violence they are experiencing. That is why we work together with them and with various resources to identify the consequences of spousal violence on themselves and their children. Training our partners is an essential factor in putting safety nets in place for victims. It provides a common understanding of the problem and the consequences of this scourge for women and their children and we regard this as essential.
Spousal violence is society's problem and all actors have to collaborate to put safety measures in place for victims. We welcome the creation of the Carrefour sécurité en violence conjugale crisis unit in the Chaudière-Appalaches region, which means that victim's safety can take centre stage and spousal homicides can be prevented. Shelters alone cannot keep victims safe. Our partners' contribution is therefore essential.
Thank you.