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There have been 38 femicides in Ontario since November 26 according to the latest report shared by a coalition of community-based women's organizations.

July's femicide report from the Ontario Association for Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH) is available online. Their annual media review More Than a Number is available here.

We Count Femicide because it is an epidemic that is preventable.

Most women are being killed in their homes – access to safe, affordable housing is critical as policy makers look to preventing femicides in Ontario.

Media reporting has confirmed six additional femicides have occurred in Ontario throughout the month of July, while an additional two cases are unconfirmed and are being monitored for further police disclosure.

Two femicide cases that occurred in June have been confirmed this month.

This brings the total to 38 femicides occurring in Ontario in the last 35 weeks.

We are truly devastated and saddened by this reality that every week in Ontario there is another woman’s life lost due to men’s violence leaving families, friends, communities and service providers impacted by these preventable tragedies.

Among the six victims killed in femicide this month, 100% of victims were killed inside of a residence.

Last year, 67.3% of all femicide victims were killed inside a residence, and 9.6% were killed outside on the property of the residence (OAITH, 2023).

The lack of safe and affordable housing in the province continues to be a barrier for survivors looking to live free from violence.

Media reports across the province have highlighted a trend of increasingly long waits for rent geared to income housing, with some regional wait times exceeding 10 years.

Without adequate, sustainable investments to increase the stock of affordable housing in the province survivors will continue to face barriers to escaping violence.

As the provincial and federal governments work to finalize bilateral agreements for the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, housing investments will be a key component to address the existing wait times for affordable housing and ensure survivors' right to safe housing is recognized throughout Ontario and Canada.

There is action happening and a wave that is building – Building a Bigger Wave Ontario Network (BBW) is a feminist-based network of passionate professionals and advocates who believe it is vital to to support and strengthen Violence Against Women Coordinating Committees (VAWCCs).

VAWCCS are the only multi-sector tables that hold the focus on gender-based violence in their communities.

They are existing infrastructure with experience and expertise that can propel change.

More than 40 communities in Ontario have declared GBV-IPV an epidemic and more are coming.

BBW has launched a new website with a map that shows the declared communities.

Works Cited:

Caudle, D. (2021, October 21 – Guelph Today)
     Demand for social housing in Guelph and Wellington County continues to climb.

Gibson, V. (2022, November 29 – Toronto Star)
     A 37-year wait for a subsidized one-bedroom, 3,808 applicants for 200 lower-cost rentals: The hunt for affordable housing in Toronto today.

Hamilton-McCharles, J. (2023, May 29 – North Bay Nugget)
     Wait list for a one-bedroom at edgewater apartments is more than 10 years long.

Ruby, M. (2023, February 9, Brantford Expositor)
     Wait time for affordable housing up to 12 years.

Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH, 2023)
     More Than A Number: 52 Femicides In 52 Weeks In One Province

The Empowering Internet Safety Guide for Women can be found here.

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source: media release, Building a Bigger Wave