March 6, 2024 – The Ending Violence Association of Canada released a new report examining the gender-based violence (GBV) workforce in Canada. The report, Roadmap to a Stronger Gender-Based Violence Workforce, documents the challenges facing those working in anti-violence organizations across the country, such as sexual assault centres, shelters, and other community-based organizations. Included in the report are findings from a national, bilingual survey of 420 self-identified gender-based violence workers across Canada.
“People working in gender-based violence organizations are on the frontlines of the public health crisis of gender-based violence in Canada. Despite their vital work responding to the GBV epidemic, the GBV workforce in Canada remains largely invisible and undervalued,” said Samantha Fernandes, Project Manager for EVA Canada’s GBV Worker Wellness project. “This report documents the highly specialized work carried out by the woman-majority GBV workforce, and demonstrates why it is imperative that chronic underfunding for GBV organizations is addressed.”
Key findings from EVA Canada’s National Questionnaire on the Gender-Based Violence Workforce in Canada include:
- More than 50% of GBV workers agreed that they often feel emotionally exhausted and/or worn out due to their work
- GBV work is highly specialized, trauma-exposed work that carries health and safety risks
- The GBV sector lacks the core, stable funding needed to protect the wellbeing of workers, with precarious funding leading to occupational stress, low wages, and job insecurity
“Meeting the needs of the gender-based violence workforce and ensuring stable employment and occupational health and safety supports must be reflected in federal, provincial and territorial funding to gender-based violence organizations, including in the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence,” said Erin Whitmore, Executive Director of EVA Canada.
EVA Canada will be co-hosting with Women’s Shelters Canada to launch reports and research on the gender-based violence workforce from both national organizations on March 7th from 6:00 to 8:00pm ET in-person in Ottawa and on-line. This event will feature a panel discussion and question and answer period with attendees.
“As two national organizations working closely with sexual assault centres, shelters, and other GBV organizations across the country, EVA Canada and Women’s Shelters Canada are coming together to emphasize the urgent need to acknowledge the challenges facing the gender-based violence workforce, and to propose concrete solutions to address these challenges,” said Whitmore.
Read the Roadmap to a Stronger Gender-Based Violence Workforce report and view additional resources, including an infographic of findings from EVA Canada’s national questionnaire of the GBV workforce.
Report and resources available in French here.
Learn more and register for EVA Canada and Women’s Shelters Canada’s joint event
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The Ending Violence Association of Canada (EVA Canada) is a national organization that works to amplify the collective voice of those who believe it is possible to end sexual and gender-based violence. EVA Canada’s membership includes provincial and territorial networks of community-based sexual assault centres, and other gender-based violence organizations across the country.
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