Open Letter: Coalition of 100+ Organizations Urge Ontario to Declare Intimate Partner Violence an Epidemic

More than 100 civil society organizations and service providers in Ontario have signed an open letter to Premier Ford, calling on the Ontario government to urgently declare intimate partner violence a provincial epidemic. Dated Wednesday December 6, the letter highlights the alarming femicide statistics in Ontario on the National Day of Remembrance and Action and Violence Against Women. In 2024 alone, there have been 62 femicide cases in Ontario. The most recent femicide victim was Parween Adel, who was tragically stabbed to death by her husband in Oshawa Ontario on November 17.

The letter also discusses the disproportionate impact of Ontario’s housing crisis on women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities seeking emergency and transitional housing services. Core funding for gender-based violence prevention resources and support services is critical for early intervention and prevention, a recommendation made by Amnesty International Canada in a Shadow Report submission to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Link to full article here.