Social Policy in Ontario

Wynne’s welcome plan to challenge violence against women

Posted on March 7, 2015 in Child & Family Policy Context

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TheStar.com – Opinion/Editorials – It’s good to see Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne drive the campaign to end violence against women. Too many still live in fear.
Mar 06 2015.   Editorial

At a time when Canadians have been shaken awake as never before to the ugly reality of violence against women, Premier Kathleen Wynne has made good use of International Women’s Day to roll out a plan to do something about it.

As Wynne rightly noted on Friday, violence and abuse of women is a fact of life for too many. One in three Canadian women will experience it. And blaming the victim is sadly all too common.

Recent cases, including the assault allegations against Jian Ghomeshi and Bill Cosby, Rehtaeh Parsons’ suicide after she was sexually harassed and bullied, and a shocking video of former NFL player Ray Rice knocking his fiancée out cold on an elevator, have helped raise public awareness over the past year, at long last.

Now Wynne is determined to push that healthy conversation forward with her $41-million “It’s never Okay” campaign. The “Action Plan to Stop Sexual Violence and Harassment” includes:

– Powerful TV ads targeting sexual harassment and violence against women, coupled with a hashtag campaign #WhoWillYouHelp. The ads urge viewers to “Stop sexual harassment and violence when you see it.”

– Stronger workplace safety legislation requiring employers to investigate sexual harassment.

– Measures to ensure that assault cases are prosecuted more fairly, effectively and respectfully.

– Better funding for survivor support.

– And previously announced changes to the sex-education curriculum that focus on consent and healthy relationships.

“Everyone in this province deserves dignity, equality and respect,” Wynne says. The action plan is “a clarion call to all Ontarians to help end misogyny so that everyone can live free from sexual violence and harassment.”

Wynne also announced a permanent “stakeholder” roundtable on violence against women to provide advice on ongoing and emerging gender-based violence issues.

This is a well-thought-out, rounded program to address a deep-rooted problem. Is it enough? That is something the roundtable can weigh, going forward.

But it is good to see the premier driving this initiative. Despite some national soul-searching and consciousness-raising, the problem is deeply rooted.

That’s clear from a new poll by the Angus Reid Forum commissioned by Toronto’s Interval House, the first centre for abused women and children in the country.

It found a disturbingly high level of ignorance about — and lack of support for — victims of violence. Fully one in three men in Ontario and one in seven women still believe it is possible for someone to bring violence upon themselves. It’s called victim blaming. And it has no place in a modern, caring, sharing society.

“We have a long way to go to change attitudes because the conversation needs to be sustained beyond just outrage pointed at celebrity abusers,” says Interval House’s Sandra Hawken. “Domestic violence is happening behind closed doors in every neighbourhood of our country and it’s easier for many of us to look the other way. That must stop.”

She is right. But it’s no easy thing. The poll found that just six Ontarians in 10 would consider helping if someone they knew came forward and disclosed abuse. Good for them. But what about the other four? Wynne’s TV campaign urging viewers to intervene and report harassment and violence is well-targeted indeed.

It’s also worth noting as International Women’s Day on Sunday draws near that individual voices are being raised, in the millions, to focus attention on the issue.

There’s the annual SlutWalk march against blaming victims that has gone global. The #BeenRapedNeverReported hashtag to explain why women don’t report rape and assaults. The #RapeCultureIsWhen campaign to counteract a spate of victim blaming in the mass media. And Interval House’s own #stopVAW (violence against women) media campaign inviting people to post selfies on Twitter with a stop sign to raise awareness.

So many are raising their voices to change attitudes. That’s what it was all about on the first International Women’s Day, more than a century ago. Still is.

< http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2015/03/06/wynnes-welcome-plan-to-challenge-violence-against-women-editorial.html >

Tags: crime prevention, ideology, mental Health, participation, poverty, rights, standard of living, women

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