An open letter from 150 organizations urging for the passing of Bill 173
Led by the YWCA Toronto, Luke’s Place has joined 148 other organizations urging the Ontario government to Pass 173, The Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act, 2024:
Dear Premier Ford and Members of the Ontario Legislature,
Today marks the 35th anniversary of the Ecole Polytechnique Massacre which saw a man deliberately kill 14 women. Not much has changed since 1989. Women are still being killed in acts of gender-based violence and we, the undersigned representatives of the gender-based violence sector and gender justice advocates, are writing to express that it is time to sign Bill 173: Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act, 2024, into law, to declare Intimate Partner Violence an epidemic.
Over the summer, dozens of experts and organizations travelled to Queen’s Park to give in-person and virtual testimonies and dozens more submitted written recommendations on how and where the government should invest in desperately underfunded support for survivors and prevention measures to support the Government’s understanding of this epidemic.
By November 2024, there had been a total of 62 recorded cases of femicide in Ontario – it is unknown how many have gone unreported. There is no denying that intimate partner violence is a public health and safety emergency. We wish to reiterate the urgent need for this critical legislation, particularly in light of this alarming rise.
As advocates, frontline workers, leaders and representatives from community-based organizations, we witness daily the devastating impacts of intimate partner violence. The ongoing trend of increasing rates of femicide underscores the immediate necessity for comprehensive reforms aimed at prevention, safety, and support for both survivors and their families, and those causing the harm/aggressors.
Every moment that passes without the passage of this bill is a moment in which lives remain at risk, and families across the province continue to bear the agonizing weight of devastation and loss. Bill 173 represents an acknowledgement of the crisis before us, it recognizes the deep investments needed to accelerate solutions, and it sends a clear message – that the lives and well-being of women, gender diverse people and their families matter.
We call upon you and all members of the Ontario Legislature to prioritize Bill 173 in your agenda and to take decisive action that reflects the compassion our communities so desperately need and deserve. Together, we must respond to calls from our community to create a safer and more just future for all Ontarians. Together, we must do everything in our power to end gender-based violence and femicide.
Thank you for your attention to this pervasive and life-threatening issue. We look forward to your prompt action in bringing Bill 173 to a vote and making a meaningful difference in the lives of women, children and gender diverse people.
