Women's Safety
Assisting Edmonton area women, children, and minorities in escaping and recovering from gender-based or family violence through local resources.
Statistics
The statistics are the reason why this is such an essential area to devote resources and raise awareness
Gender-based Violence
United Nations Women defines Gender-based violence (GBV) as “harmful acts directed at an individual or group of individuals based on their gender. It is rooted in gender inequality, the abuse of power, and harmful norms … The term is also sometimes used to describe targeted violence against LGBTQI+ populations.”
The Canadian government describes GBV as “violence based on gender norms and unequal power dynamics, perpetrated against someone based on their gender, gender expression, gender identity, or perceived gender. It takes many forms, including physical, economic, sexual, as well as emotional (psychological) abuse.”
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
45% of women have been victims of GBV.
On any given night, over 6000 Canadian women and children will sleep in shelters, and 300 will be turned away due to space issues. 78% of those in shelters report being there due to abuse.
SEXUAL ASSAULT
87% of sexual assaults occur against women, along with 92% of police-reported cases.
52% of women experienced sexual harassment at work, while 28% experienced non-consensual touching.
Single women report sexual assault at a rate of 9X higher in comparison to women in relationships or men.
30% of women report being sexually assaulted at least once since age 15, compared to 8% of men.
SAFE CITIES AND PUBLIC SPACES INITIATIVE
A United Nations global flagship initiative focusing on sexual harassment in public spaces.
City partners commit to 4 goals:
“Identify gender-responsive locally relevant and owned interventions” a scoping study is done to understand sexual violence against women in public places and develop programs
“Develop and effectively implement compressive laws anicies to prevent and respond to sexual violence in public spaces"
“Investments in the safety and economic viability of public spaces”
“Change attitudes and behaviours to promote women’s and girls’ rights to enjoy public spaces free from violence”
High-Risk Populations
Indigenous Women
and Girls
61% of Indigenous women have experienced IPV, compared to 44% of non-indigenous women. 43% have been sexually assaulted, compared to 30% of non-indigenous women.
Despite Indigenous women only making up 5% of the female population in Canada, they account for 21% of women killed by an intimate partner between 2014 and 2019.
They are 3X more likely to report violent victimization, are sexually assaulted 3X more, and are 7X more likely to be killed compared to non-indigenous women.