WomanACT’s feedback to the Toronto Police Service Board’s 2025–2028 Strategic Plan is the result of a collaborative process informed by the lived experiences and expertise of survivors, frontline organizations, researchers, and advocates across the violence against women (VAW) sector. Developed through consultations, both independently and as part of the City of Toronto’s IPV Working Group, this submission centers survivor voices and offers evidence-based, gender-responsive, and trauma-informed recommendations to address rising rates of intimate partner violence.
Drawing on over two decades of leadership in advancing gender equity, WomanACT’s submission highlights five key areas for reform: gender-responsive policing; integrated crisis response models with non-police alternatives; improved accountability and equity in data use; meaningful community partnerships rooted in survivor leadership; and strengthened internal practices to support diversity, wellness, and anti-oppression. This strategic planning process offers a critical opportunity to align the Board’s priorities with long-standing calls from the VAW sector, ensuring policing strategies are equitable, accountable, and responsive to the diverse needs of survivors, while focusing on prevention of intimate partner and gender-based violence.