You are right. A comprehensive approach is necessary, one that takes into account every aspect of these women's lives and quality of life. It has to address the health and social sectors as much as it does the justice system. An integrated response that brings together all sectors is needed to ensure women's safety.
The court system has been a frequent topic of discussion. The current court response is not good enough. It doesn't put victims at the centre of the judicial process. We have seen that violence against women and its impact on women and their children are poorly understood because justice system stakeholders do not have the necessary training.
It's the same for the health sector. Health professionals are not good at identifying the effects of violence against women. When women who have suffered injuries go to the hospital, in very few cases is violence identified as the cause. There again, it comes down to a lack of training.
Holes in the social safety net are also to blame. Women's shelters should not be the only organizations providing victims with the full range of supports they need. The response has to be coordinated and integrated. Many of the women who turn to us think twice about it. When they are thinking about leaving their violent partner, they wonder what will happen to them once they leave the shelter. It's also important not to overlook second-stage housing, where women can stay for three to five years as they rebuild their lives. Regardless, women wonder what they're going to do when they leave the shelter. Will they be able to afford a place to live? Will they find a good school for their kids? Will they find a new job? As we all know, women who leave abusive situations—whether it's domestic violence or another form of abuse—have to rebuild their lives from scratch. Unfortunately, some women choose to stay with their partner because society doesn't offer them the full range of supports they need.
How society responds to men with violent behaviours is equally important. Again, this is not limited to situations involving domestic violence. It includes exploitation rings, sexual assault, family violence, violence against parents at the hands of their children. It covers all the forms of violence that have been raised, ranging from financial abuse and verbal abuse to sexual violence.
That is why it is so important to make coercive control a crime. As we all know, violence offences in the Criminal Code are based solely on physical violence. Some women experience total coercive control, which has psychological and physical effects, but it does not necessarily constitute a crime. That is a major issue.
How are we dealing with violent men?
One of the problems we are seeing in Canada, at least in Quebec, is that the programs for these men are inadequate. Oftentimes, they don't focus on the need to hold these men accountable for their violent behaviours.
That explains a lot of the comments we hear. “Well, yes, he was violent towards his partner, but he's still a good father.” However, all the research shows that that is completely false: violence against women and violence against children go and in hand. Regardless, the prevailing attitude is such that fathers are able to get custody of the children under the civil law system.