Thank you.

My name is Valérie Auger-Voyer. I'm the advocacy coordinator at the Ending Violence Association of Canada. We're a national organization that works collaboratively with our members on the ground to provide a unified pan-Canadian voice on the issue of sexual violence. Our members are provincial and territorial networks of sexual assault centres and other gender-based violence organizations.

I'm here to tell you about the significant role that sexual violence plays in femicide and how to begin addressing this.

Femicide discussions have traditionally centred around intimate partner violence, but sexual violence and femicide are deeply interconnected in both intimate partner and non-intimate partner femicides. In fact, sexual violence is recognized as both an indicator and a risk factor for femicide.

Women who experience sexual violence in intimate partner relationships report significantly more risk factors for femicide, as well as death threats. In cases involving non-intimate partner perpetrators and sexual violence, young women and sex workers are at higher risk.

Gaps in data collection limit our ability to fully capture the role of sexual violence and femicide. The Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability has highlighted the need for more data on the prevalence and patterns of sexual violence in femicides.

We know that gender-based violence and femicides stem from the same structural inequities that render certain groups disproportionately vulnerable to sexual violence. In particular, we can think of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, sex workers, young women, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and women with disabilities, who all face higher risks of violence.

Therefore, any policy discussions, data collection and solutions must start with a broad, inclusive definition of femicide, one that captures not only the lethal act but also the power dynamics that are involved, as well as the underlying disparities and conditions that enable it. A definition must also be inclusive and reflective of those most at risk, including gender-diverse individuals.

In terms of responses to sexual violence, we know that carceral responses are not working for most survivors. The fact that only 6% of sexual assaults are reported to the police means that most survivors do not turn to the criminal justice system, and those who do often feel revictimized. Further, the system over-criminalizes marginalized groups, which in turn reinforces the inequities that allow violence to thrive in the first place.

Instead, we echo the calls of the Mass Casualty Commission to shift the focus to community-based responses that centre on survivors' well-being and prevent violence. This includes strengthening social infrastructure to tackle root causes of violence and investing in community-based frontline organizations that provide essential services to survivors.

Although efforts have been made by the federal government in the last few years through the national action plan, significant service gaps remain. We have found that the national action plan funding is not sufficient to stabilize the sector, and it's also not reaching sexual assault centres consistently or adequately across Canada.

Making meaningful progress in addressing sexual violence and femicide will require large-scale, sustained and coordinated efforts across jurisdictions, so we urge the federal government to rely on the expertise of our sector and also to put in place an independent gender-based violence commissioner to help move things forward and provide accountability.

I have four recommendations.

Number one is to establish a comprehensive data collection mechanism for femicides that specifically identifies and tracks sexual violence as a key risk factor and also captures the societal conditions that lead to sexual violence and femicide.

Number two is to urgently implement the 231 calls for justice for missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and to invest in initiatives that support communities that are structurally marginalized, such as indigenous and Black communities, racialized and trans individuals, and women with disabilities.

Third is to ensure the national action plan adequately funds community-based survivor-serving organizations, such as sexual assault centres.

Number four is to establish an independent gender-based violence commissioner.

Thank you. I look forward to your questions.

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