A new report from Statistics Canada says one in three shelters for people fleeing abuse reported they were greatly affected in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report used data from 557 Canadian shelters taken on April 14, 2021, which aimed to represent a typical day of operation.
There was a 49 per cent increase in the number of crisis calls when compared with before the pandemic, and several shelters reported expanding services to connect with victims digitally including by text message. "As much as these are affirming and validating, it's difficult to know what this information is going to do in terms of public policy around gender-based violence both at the federal level and regionally."
"Isolation is an abuser's dream and this was, in a sense, state-sponsored isolation, which was important to do in terms of health measures, but there wasn't enough done to mitigate risks or get the proper messaging out." Geiger-Bardswich said the report has also highlighted the need for the federal government to begin implementing a National Action Plan on Violence Against Women and Gender-Based Violence.
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