(Toronto, Ont. – December 10, 2024)  The Chiefs of Ontario First Nations Women’s Council has released the following statement acknowledging the conclusion of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence on December 10th and addressing the premature halt of Bill 173:

This annual campaign, which runs from November 25th to December 10th, shines a spotlight on the pervasive issue of gender-based violence and urges decision-makers worldwide to demonstrate accountability and take concrete actions to address this crisis.

The statistics paint a harrowing picture of the reality in Canada: while Indigenous women account for approximately 5 percent of women in Canada, they represent 21 percent of all women killed by an intimate partner between 2014 to 2019. In Ontario alone, 62 women were killed by men between November 2023 and November 2024, as reported by the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses in its annual femicide report. These rates of violence are staggering and underscore the disproportionate rates of violence that women, and particularly First Nations women, face in Canada.

The First Nations Women’s Council, which advises the 133 First Nations Chiefs in Ontario on measures to end gender-based violence, is deeply disheartened by the recent decision by members of Ontario’s Standing Committee on Justice Policy to cut short their work on intimate partner violence in relation to Bill 173, Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act, 2024. This decision undermined the Committee’s initial intent to visit communities across the province to hear firsthand from those impacted by the issue. This decision not only silenced the voices of those most affected but also undermined efforts to understand and address the root causes of intimate partner violence.

The current government had initially signaled their opposition of declaring intimate partner violence an epidemic in this province but then voted in favor of the Bill in April 2024; a welcome surprise which brought with it financial support to conduct a comprehensive study. The Chiefs of Ontario along with several First Nations political organizations and Independent First Nations gave testimony during the initial phase of the Study and were informed of the Committee’s plan to travel across Ontario to hear the experiences of women who have survived violence inflicted by an intimate partner, including women in First Nations communities. The premature ending of this work leaves First Nations voices unheard and sends a message that they do not matter, that First Nations women whose lives are cut short through acts of violence are not this government’s priority.

Expressing her disappointment at this latest turn of events, Deputy Grand Chief Anna Betty Achneepineskum from Nishnawbe Aski Nation, spokesperson for the First Nations Women’s Council, stated: “Until governments acknowledge and respond to the fact that intimate partner violence is an epidemic and it affects our people more than anyone else in Canada we will continue to see our women, girls, Two Spirit loved ones and other vulnerable community members being victimized and suffering unbearable atrocities including at the hands of their partners. This is not acceptable, lives will be lost.”

The Chiefs of Ontario First Nations Women’s Council calls on all levels of government to recommit to addressing the epidemic of intimate partner violence with the urgency, resources, and respect it demands. The safety and dignity of all women, and particularly First Nations women, must be a non-negotiable priority.

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The Chiefs of Ontario supports all First Nations in Ontario as they assert their sovereignty, jurisdiction, and their chosen expression of nationhood. Follow Chiefs of Ontario on Facebook, X, Instagram, or LinkedIn @ChiefsOfOntario

 

Media Contact:

Isak Vaillancourt

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Chiefs of Ontario

Telephone: 416-819-8184

Email: isak.vaillancourt@coo.org