Women’s experiences of homelessness and violence during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada’s largest city: an integrated qualitative analysis of clients of violence against women organizations and encampment residents

Violence against women (VAW) remains a predominant driver of women’s homelessness. Nevertheless, in many countries, including Canada, policy and programmatic responses to VAW and homelessness have developed in isolation from one another. This lack of integration significantly limits the effectiveness of efforts to address the complex and interconnected needs of women affected by both issues.

WomanACT collaborated on a research project with Dalhousie and the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) that brought together academics and community advocates to examine the issue in a new research study published today in BMC Public Health. They analyzed existing interviews with 10 women accessing VAW services (MARCO-VAW Study) and 23 residents of encampments (MARCO-Encampments Study) at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto.

Three themes were generated from the research analysis: exacerbation of inequities (abuse of) power and control as pathways into women’s homelessness; (2) negotiating trade-offs between safety and autonomy; and (3) gender stereotypes versus gender-transformative approaches. This infographic highlights some of the insights from the research paper.

To learn more about this research project, click here.

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