A Joint Statement From The Toronto GBV/IPV Working Group On The Elimination Of The Minister For Women And Gender Equality Canada

A Joint Statement From The Toronto GBV/IPV Working Group On The Elimination Of The Minister For Women And Gender Equality Canada.

Women’s rights and safety are non-negotiable.

As professionals working to end gender-based violence (GBV) in Toronto, and as organizations that led the advocacy for Toronto to declare GBV and IPV an epidemic, we recognize our responsibility to highlight gaps and raise our voices on behalf of the one in three women in Canada who will experience violence in her lifetime.

On March 14, 2025, the Government of Canada announced its new Cabinet, which no longer included the Minister for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE), a department which oversees the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan, among other crucial files. 

The National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence (NAP) was a hard-won federal action plan that many of our organizations consulted on. With all Provincial and Territorial agreements in place as of 2024, the NAP can finally be implemented, funded, and tracked. Unfortunately, this crucial work is now at risk with the WAGE Minister no longer in existence and the work of the department moved under another ministry.  

The Need for a Dedicated WAGE Minister and Department. 

The intricate and multifaceted nature of gender-based violence, along with the expertise needed to address it and promote gender equality, requires the focused leadership of a specialized minister and department. By moving these issues under another ministry, the government diminishes its accountability for women’s rights, gender equity, and gender-based violence. Without a dedicated Minister for Women and Gender Equality, the federal government risks undermining vital progress in key areas like preventing and addressing gender-based violence, ensuring sexual and reproductive health, supporting 2SLGBTQQIA+ rights, and advancing broader gender equity initiatives.

The Broader Message

The removal of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality sends a clear message: the rights, safety, and well-being of women, girls, and gender-diverse people living in Canada are not a top priority of this government. At best, they are seen as secondary concerns in “challenging times,” disregarding the critical role women play in overcoming such challenges. Beyond the concerning message this sends, there are significant implications for funding, policy development, and government accountability. The removal of this role coincides with a global regression of women’s rights. In such a period, it is more crucial than ever to maintain dedicated leadership and strong accountability systems to address the unique challenges, inequalities, and violence faced by women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals in Canada.

The Fiscal Impacts of Gender-Based Violence

The new and significantly leaner Cabinet has been described by government officials as one that is focused on protecting workers during a trade war and building the economy during a moment of crisis. As Canada weathers the impact of tariffs on our economy, cost of living, and employment prospects, it is important that we recognize the disproportionate impact of such changes on women and children. These economic downturns have historically led to an increase in rates of gender-based violence and intimate partner violence in our homes and communities. Now, more than ever, we need a dedicated Minister for Women and Gender Equality to continue to support the elimination of gender-based violence and promote gender equity. 

We understand the unprecedented time that Canadian leadership finds itself in at the moment, however we must highlight that sidelining gender equity will ultimately harm Canada’s economic prosperity – not improve it. Issues such as the gender wage gap, gendered poverty, unequal access to economic opportunities, and workplace discrimination directly undermine Canada’s economy. However, as GBV advocates and frontline organizations working with survivors and in GBV prevention, we must highlight that any government looking to address a struggling economy must zoom out and address gender-based violence. The long-term effects of GBV are well-documented, influencing a range of critical areas such as homelessness, physical and mental health, reproductive health, food insecurity, financial instability, limited access to education, and beyond – all of which have grave financial consequences. Canada’s Department of Justice reports that sexual assault and other sexual crimes cost the country $4.8 billion annually, while spousal violence alone accounts for a staggering $7.4 billion in losses. In short, gender-based violence costs Canada billions every year. 

Canada as a Global Leader for Women’s Equality and Safety

As advocates who are also active in global GBV work, we have witnessed Canada’s international leadership in advancing women’s rights and addressing gender-based violence, including international funding for GBV projects around the world, support for international resolutions addressing GBV, and much more. We encourage the Government of Canada to remain leaders in this space by abiding by our international commitments and laws and restoring our own internal mechanism for accountability and oversight on gender-based violence.

Women at the Forefront

When it comes to ensuring our communities are healthy, thriving, and resilient, women have been at the forefront of advocacy and activism. Whether it be changing legislation, creating legislation, or simply ensuring that inherent human rights are upheld, women and gender diverse people have been leading their communities for years. Indeed, feminist organizing has resulted in huge advancements in all sectors and has boosted economies across Canada. Issues affecting women – which ultimately affect us all – like gender equity, human rights, pay gaps, workplace harassment, gender-based violence, and more, cannot be put aside for any interim timeframe. They must be at the forefront at all times, and there can never be a justification for the removal of such an important Minister or portfolio. Women, girls and gender diverse people, after all, make up more than half of Canada’s population. We deserve better.

Our Call to Action

We, along with a growing number of feminist organizations, call for the reinstatement of the WAGE Minister, along with its dedicated department, to ensure that we continue to move forward – not backward – in our efforts to create a healthy, thriving, safe, equitable, just and prosperous Canada for everyone.

In the same light, as members of the GBV/IPV Working Group in Toronto, we call upon our city’s leadership to ensure that efforts to address the GBV and IPV epidemic as stated in Motion CC8.2 remain a City priority, particularly those under Section 5, which direct City Council to request the Provincial and Federal Governments to provide the necessary support to meaningfully address the gender-based violence and intimate-partner violence epidemic.

We are certain that these actions will result in a stronger, healthier, and more just Canada for everyone.

Sincerely,