NDP Leader Andrea Horwath statement on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

One third of women around the world will experience violence in their lives, often by someone they know and trust. Half of all women killed will be murdered by intimate partners. Here in Canada, First Nations women and girls face an epidemic of violence, with hundreds missing or murdered.

Around the world, and in our own backyard, women’s rights that have been taken for granted for decades are being threatened, putting women’s safety in danger.

Women deserve better. Violence against women and girls is a problem that affects everyone, and it will take everyone working together to stop it.

Ontario’s New Democrats are committed to working to bring an end to violence against women. New Democrats want to work alongside all Ontarians to build a province where women and girls are respected, safe, and given every opportunity to thrive. And we want to build a community and justice system where victims of intimate violence are supported and believed, not re-victimized.

We can be proud of the protections and rights that have been entrenched for women in Canada, but we must never become complacent. Together, let’s build a future free from violence against women and girls.