Madam Chair, gender-based violence is entirely preventable. If folks who are at risk of harming are under a lot of pressure, they can go for a walk, call a friend, talk to a spiritual leader they trust or reach out to a counsellor before they do something they might regret. This violence is preventable. Bystanders, neighbours or people who know that a friend is in trouble can do something about it. They can call the individual who they are afraid is at risk and ask if she needs help.
The Canadian Women's Foundation has come up with a signal for help. It is to address the lack of informal support systems in place. If anybody is experiencing danger and makes this signal on social media, on a FaceTime or Zoom call, we can call for help. Call the individual and ask closed-ended questions like, “Are you okay? Do you need me to call somebody? Do you need me to call the police?”, and check in on them regularly.
We have invested in front-line organizations. We will continue to be there for them. We all have to step up our efforts with greater funding, but we also need to address the cultural norms. The violence that women experience is a reflection of what we as a society are willing to tolerate—