Get moving with a gender-based violence commissioner

Increased investment is urgently needed to stop the crisis. One immediate step in the right direction would be to name a national gender-based violence commissioner.

The position has been called for more than once. The Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund called for it in a 2024 report. So did Nova Scotia’s Mass Casualty Commission in its final report in 2023 (recommendation 17) and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls amid its many recommendations.

How a commissioner could help

At its core, the call for a national gender-based violence commissioner is rooted in the need for tangible accountability and actions stemming from existing national efforts such as the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.

The national plan works through bilateral agreements with each province and territory. It is a holistic plan that aims to change the social and economic factors that contribute to violence. It includes Indigenous-led approaches and seeks to create a more accessible justice system for those who have survived forms of gender-based violence.

It is survivor-centric, which is important. It will focus on supporting survivors of gender-based violence and their families. It could change and save lives if it’s fully and effectively implemented. However, the “if” is significant.

Concerns about implementation emerged within a year of the launch on Nov. 9, 2022, with questions about accountability and transparency. A gender-based violence commissioner could help address these concerns.

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