Remembrance, United Action on Violence Against Women

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Working together to stop woman abuse was the focus of a ceremony at Province House, in Halifax, today, Dec. 6.

The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women has become a day to remember all women who live with, or have died because of, violence. It was established to honour the 14 young women who died at École Polytechnique in Montreal.

"Whatever its form, violence against women is unacceptable. We all have a role in stopping it," said Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, Minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women. "Violence against a woman is not an isolated event. It ripples out from the abused woman, damaging her children, other family members, co-workers and the community."

"At the advisory council this year, we have focused on helping family and friends respond effectively when a loved one is involved in an abusive relationship," said Liz Chisholm, chair of the advisory council.

The Transition House Association of Nova Scotia and the Girl Guides of Canada participated in the ceremony. The Transition House Association displayed the Clothesline Project, with dozens of purple scarves decorated by women who have survived violence, and commemorating the 16 Days of Activism to Eliminate Violence Against Women, from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10.

The advisory council's 2007 fact sheets about violence against women, include these statistics:

Intimate Partner Violence
-- Young women (aged 15-24) in common-law relationships are at higher risk of experiencing intimate partner violence, as are women who have been in a relationship for three years or less, and women with a partner who is a frequent, heavy drinker.
-- Aboriginal women in Canada are at least three times more likely to have experienced spousal violence than non-Aboriginal women.
-- Nearly two-thirds of spousal violence incidents against women are not reported to the police.
-- A large proportion of victims of intimate partner violence (83 per cent of women and 60 per cent of men) confide in informal sources of help and support such as family, friend, co-worker, doctor/nurse, clergy.

Homicide
-- A total of 84 women in Nova Scotia were victims of homicide between 1991 and 2006.
-- Between 1991 and 2005, more than half (56.5 per cent) of female victims were killed by their spouses or intimate partners, compared to 9.5 per cent of male victims.
-- Women in Nova Scotia are about 40 times more likely to be killed by a spouse or intimate partner than they are to be killed by a stranger (56.5 per cent versus 1.4).

Sexual Assault
-- Eighty-eight per cent of sexual assaults in Canada do not get reported to police.
-- The largest proportion of victims are young, with 44 per cent under 25.
-- In 2005, 840 sexual offences were reported to police in Nova Scotia.
-- In more than three quarters of cases reported to Halifax Regional Police in 2005, victims knew the accused.

Read more at http://women.gov.ns.ca/pubFactSheets.asp .

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FOR BROADCAST USE:

     Working together to stop woman abuse was the focus of a

ceremony at Province House, in Halifax, today (December 6th)

marking the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence

Against Women.

     Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, Minister responsible for the

Advisory Council on the Status of Women, says whatever its

form, violence against women is unacceptable and everyone has a

role in stopping it.

     The Transition House Association of Nova Scotia and the Girl

Guides of Canada participated in the ceremony.

     Go to the advisory council's website to read new statistics

about violence against women at women-dot-gov-dot-N-S-dot-C-A,

under fact sheets.

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Media Contact: Annabel Bruce
              Advisory Council on the Status of Women
              902-424-7593
              E-mail: brucea@gov.ns.ca