NDP statement on the International Day to End Violence against Women

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair made the following statement on the International Day to End Violence against Women:

“In April 2014, on just one night, more than 500 women and children fleeing violence were turned away from shelters because there weren’t enough spaces. That’s unacceptable in a country like Canada. We need to do more to eradicate violence against women, and to ensure that women and children facing violence have a safe place to turn to.

We have made progress, but violence against women remains unacceptably high. Indigenous women are four times more likely to face violence than other women in Canada. Women still aren’t sufficiently valued in many areas of society. We still don’t condemn sexual and gender-based violence as loudly as we should. We make excuses or we look the other way, with devastating effects on survivors. We all have a role to play in rejecting the quiet tolerance of violence against women.

As the country’s progressive opposition, New Democrats will hold the new Liberal government to its promise of a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women. The government must work with indigenous and women’s groups to develop a national action plan that takes into account recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Liberal government must also act swiftly on its commitment to create a comprehensive federal gender violence strategy. We must ensure steady progress is made towards ending violence against women each and every year.

It’s time for a new era. Our goal is the eradication of violence against women – and we will not stop until the job is done.”