31 Things British Columbia Can Do Right Now to End Violence Against Women
17. Increase access to gender appropriate drug treatment and harm reduction services
In British Columbia there is a critical lack of gender-appropriate services for women living with addictions. There is a significant overlap between experiences of gendered violence and substance misuse among women. This health service gap is a significant barrier to women’s health and safety. Along with the overall shortage of treatment beds and other programs for women, there is also a lack of treatment options that allow mothers to be accompanied by, or maintain meaningful contact with, their children. This problem could be addressed by supporting projects that are already having positive impacts for women and by ensuring that addictions strategies and analyzed through a gendered lens.
Women in British Columbia have waited too long already. That is why we are offering 31 things that BC’s new Provincial Office of Domestic Violence (PODV) can push for right now to increase safety for women and to bring us closer than we have ever been to ending violence against women once and for all. We are calling for 31 social, economic and legal changes, none of which are unachievable in this province. Some would require very little financial investment, and each of them will save resources in the long term given the high costs of violence against women.
For more information:
Jane Doe Advocates – 31 Things British Columbia can do Right Now to End Violence Against Women
Follow The Violence Against Women in Relationship Act – 2. Audit for compliance with BC’s Violence Against Women in Relationship policy
3. Address the immediate financial and housing needs of women fleeing violence
5. Make addressing women’s inequality a core learning objective for all BC students
6. Add sexual violence by police to the mandate of the Independent Investigations Office
7. Address the feminization of poverty with a provincial anti-poverty plan
8. Push to add gender and sex to the hate crime provisions of Canada’sCriminal Code
9. Bring back regional coordination committees for women’s safety
10. Join the call for a national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women
11. Do not let immigration status stand in the way of women’s safety
12. Value the expertise of women’s organizations by investing in their work
13. Make women’s safety the first priority in police response
15. Train and support specialized Crown Counsel for cases involving gender violence
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