The NDP supports the call for a provincial task force on gender-based violence. The NDP critic for the Status of Women and Justice Gerry Rogers (MHA, St. John's Centre) says we must work proactively to ensure no new names are added to the list of missing and murdered women and girls in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Rogers attended the annual In Her Name vigil in St. John’s this week. Today, the Provincial Action Network on the Status of Women (PANSOW) and a coalition of anti-violence groups are calling on government to establish a provincial task force on gender-based violence to oversee the implementation of a comprehensive, provincial plan to end domestic violence. Status of Women groups province-wide have been calling for a provincial plan for years.
“NL has one of the highest rates of intimate partner violence in the country and gender-based violence is on the rise,” Rogers said. “And we know the statistics don’t tell the whole story due to under-reporting.”
“We need to look at the systemic inequalities that intertwine with gender-based violence, and issues that disproportionately impact women, ranging from a lack of affordable childcare to pay equity.”
Rogers adds that the only way violence prevention initiatives are effective is if poverty and other systemic issues are addressed. She also points to the necessity of multi-year funding for community groups that deliver crucial anti-violence work.
“I urgently call on government to take seriously the call for a provincial task force on gender-based violence in our province and to act immediately.”