Making the decision to leave an abusive relationship is never easy and is often accompanied by several sacrifices. For many, leaving an abusive relationship means losing friends and family, helping kids adjust to a new school, navigating the justice system, securing housing and a sustainable income, and, above all, healing from trauma.
YWCA Toronto’s Violence Against Women (VAW) shelters, as well as the December 6th Fund, provide support services to women transitioning into safe and independent living. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated challenges for women rebuilding their lives in safety. Lockdowns and social distancing contributed to social isolation for residents, placing limits on community outings and in-house interactions. Isolation has also been a struggle for women who have secured housing in the community but continue to feel lonely in their new home. For example, one participant in our Transitional Housing Support Program said she felt depressed after moving out of the shelter at the start of COVID. She was constantly isolated in her new home.
After leaving her abuser, she had no close family or friends to support her – just YWCA Toronto staff. She missed the sense of community she had with shelter staff and residents and missed having other kids to play with her daughter.
Social isolation is also heightened for children who first have to adjust to living in a shelter and then, due to COVID, were required to enroll in online learning with minimal interaction with other kids. During the re-opening stages, COVID-19 screening protocols impacted children’s school attendance and, in turn, mothers’ availability for work – at times resulting in a loss of income. Shuttered child care spaces also made it challenging for women who were forced to travel outside their community to access child care. Despite these impacts, women continue to be resilient and determined to live a life free from violence.
Below are a few quotes from residents who left our shelter during 2021:
“I am thankful and grateful for having their [YWCA Toronto] support and more. These are great people and they bring a smile to our faces. It was a great experience to go through and may God bless every one of them.” --
“Thank you so much for being there for us and for your help in our settlement. My son and I feel so thankful for all the support we got and now we are so happy and excited about the future. We love you all! Thank you!” --
“Continue with this great work of supporting women and children who need it. In this world, more people like you are needed.” --
The covert nature of gender-based violence makes it difficult to grasp just how serious and pervasive it is. As of October 31, 2021, the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Housing (OAITH) reported 53 cases of femicide, a murder in which a woman or girl is killed because of her gender. This is a 47% increase from 2020 – and also includes a rise in intimate partner femicides by 42.86% in the same period. We know that the pandemic made it more difficult for survivors of gender-based violence to seek emergency shelter and services when public health officials instructed residents to isolate at home, with scant acknowledgment that home, for those experiencing violence, is where abuse is most likely to occur.
YWCA Toronto continues to advocate for a robust, well-funded national action plan to end gender-based violence against women, girls and gender diverse people. It is also important that we continue to commemorate the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women every December 6th and honour the 14 women who lost their lives at L'École Polytechnique de Montréal. Though it has been 32 years since this massacre, incidents of gender-based violence are not decreasing, as the most recent uptick during the pandemic demonstrates. There is still more work to do and it is critical to listen to survivors, speak up against violence, raise awareness and invest in additional services to help keep women and gender diverse people safe. This is a collective effort that requires everyone’s support. We are proud to lead this effort at YWCA Toronto.
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Nicola Holness is the Manager of YWCA Toronto's Arise Shelter as well as the December 6th Fund program. She is also a member on the YWCA Toronto’s Anti-Black Racism Committee and a Board Member for the Black Creek Community Health Centre. Nicola received her Masters in Social Work in 2016 from the University of Windsor.
Image by Belinda Amoah on Unsplash