Advocates say N.S. falling short on treating intimate-partner violence as epidemic

Senior Nova Scotia Officials Address Concerns Over Commitment to Address Intimate-Partner Violence

Senior Nova Scotia government officials are responding to concerns that they are falling short on a commitment to treat intimate-partner violence as an epidemic.

Nicole Johnson-Morrison, with the province’s status of women council, says the government’s declaration about one year ago that intimate-partner violence is an epidemic was a critical step in acknowledging the severity of the issue.

She told a legislature committee on Tuesday that the budget includes more than $100 million for initiatives related to intimate-partner or gender-based violence.

However, Johnson-Morrison would not commit to providing victim groups “core” funding, which covers ongoing operation costs.

The Importance of Funding for Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Intervention

The final report from the public inquiry into the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting that left 22 people dead recommended governments provide an “epidemic-level funding” to gender-based violence prevention and intervention.

Since Oct. 18, there have been seven women in Nova Scotia allegedly killed by their male partners.

Advocating for Sustainable Funding for Survivor Support Organizations

Meghan Hansford, with the non-profit Adsum for Women & Children, said many groups that support survivors of gender-based violence in Nova Scotia are stuck in the stressful and time-consuming cycle of applying for annual funding from the province.

Hansford says the province should ensure these groups can continue their vital work by funding them adequately and on a long-term basis.