Violations of the right to housing are largely gendered, with women and gender-diverse people more likely to experience inadequate housing and homelessness. The right to housing is defined as all individuals having the right to safe and adequate housing. As such, women living in violent homes are also experiencing a direct violation of their right to housing.

This issue brief explores the connections between the right to housing and violence against women. The brief looks at the connections between homelessness and violence and the key barriers to survivors obtaining safe, adequate and permanent housing.

Public transit is a gender issue. While women are more likely to use public transit, they also face increased barriers to accessing transit, mainly, risks to their safety. Access to public transit is critical for people’s mobility and economic participation.

This issue brief explores women’s unique travel patterns and needs, including changes to women’s travel patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic. The brief also looks at women’s safety on public transit and outlines policies and practices to improve safety on transit.

Intimate partner violence can have an impact on a survivor’s employment. Intimate partner violence can lead to job instability and loss. This can be because of poor mental health, trauma, relocation and sabotage by an abusive partner.

This issue brief explores employment sabotage and disruption, a form of economic abuse that involves tactics used by an abuser to prevent their partner or ex-partner from working, or progressing in their career.

In January 2021, the Canadian government announced a commitment to develop a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. Leading up to the development of the Plan, we undertook consultations with community organizations and survivors on what they wanted to see in the Plan.

The report provides an overview of what we heard from consultations, including key messages and priorities for the Plan.

Risk assessment, safety planning and information sharing are common practices in the violence against women sector to help identify the likelihood of repeat or increased violence and prevent further harm. The practice of information sharing between providers is seen by many as an effective way to reduce serious harm.

This report draws on focus groups and interviews with service providers and explores their experiences of risk assessment and information sharing, including challenges and promising practices. The aim of the report is to help inform the wider MARAC project which is aimed at piloting high risk domestic violence tables in three communities across Ontario.

Technology-based intimate partner violence encompasses acts of abuse that are committed with the use of technology to exert power or control over a current or former spouse. While the causes and consequences of this form of violence remain largely the same as other forms of violence against women, the use of technology can create new mechanisms to exert controlling behaviour.

This issue brief explores the definition of technology-based intimate partner violence and discusses different types, including harassment, stalking, isolation and impersonation. The issue brief also suggests some ideas for preventing and responding to technology-based intimate partner violence.

Gender inequities still persist across the City of Toronto. Women, girls, trans and non-binary individuals face higher rates of violence and continue to be murdered by their partners and ex-partners at a substantially higher rate than men. Women are more likely to be unemployed, in precarious work and still make less money than their male counterparts. And yet, they make up 52% of the population. The experience of being a Torontonian is indeed gendered, and these experiences are further impacted by race, immigration status, disability, sexuality and socio-economic status.

Despite a long history of women’s policy advocacy, the idea that women’s interests should be incorporated into the policy process is still relatively new. Integrating an intersectional gender analysis to policies, services and programs requires dedicated time, resources, capacity building, constant community engagement as well as a willingness for change. Our deputation to the Executive Committee reinforced the need for a Gender Equity strategy across the City of Toronto.