On Nov. 29, 2024, over 200 people gathered at Waterloo Town Square for Women Crisis Services of Waterloo Region’s (WCSWR) Voices Empower 2024.

WCSWR holds this annual event to fundraise and raise awareness of the increasing rates of femicide in Waterloo Region and worldwide. Participants walked a six-kilometre route along King St. to mark that in Canada, a woman is killed by an intimate partner every six days.

WCSWR supports women, transgender, gender-diverse individuals and children experiencing domestic violence with outreach programs, education and shelter. Jen Hutton, chief executive officer at WCSWR, said the event began during the pandemic as reported cases of domestic and intimate partner violence were increasing.

“The support has just been massive—it’s our largest fundraiser of the year, and we’re really close to hitting our goal of $60,000. People can join a team or participate individually, and most people wear purple as a sign of solidarity with survivors,” Hutton said.

Sarah Robertson is a former WCSWR board member and walk participant. As a survivor of domestic violence, she said it is important to come together as a community to show strength.

“The walk brings advocacy and awareness to domestic violence and helps us support families in our community. It shows women and survivors that there is support. There are places to get help,” Robertson said.

In addition to the women walking, the event participants included children and male allies. Robertson said men joining events like Voices Empower can be a driver for change.

“It shifts our perspective on women and intimate partner violence and how we can support families and support men to be able to show up in different ways that help keep their children and their partners safe,” Robertson said.

Dalton Scott and his friends participated in the walk to support their partners.

“We’re out here to support women in the community. Women’s Crisis Services is a fantastic charity that helps so many women,” he said.

Dorothy McCabe, mayor of Waterloo, attended the walk with a team from the local chapter of the Canadian Federation of University Women.

On Oct. 16, 2023, Waterloo City Council unanimously approved a motion declaring intimate partner violence an epidemic. According to Waterloo Region Police, officers responded to 10,134 calls and pressed 5,102 charges related to intimate partner violence between 2012 and 2022.

“We passed that motion, and we’ve been asking the province and the feds to call it an epidemic. We’re not getting a whole lot of headway, but we’re hoping,” McCabe said.

“We’re also doing work on a municipal code of conduct in response to the increase in violence directed towards elected women.”

She added that declaring intimate partner violence as an epidemic is one way to raise awareness throughout the community.

“Our neighbourhood teams are trying to help people better identify when intimate partner violence may be happening and be able to support someone and get them to the resources they need,” McCabe said.

Waterloo is one of 95 municipalities in Ontario to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic.

Declaring intimate partner violence as an epidemic was one of 86 recommendations from the Renfrew County inquest in 2022. The inquest looked into the failures that led to three women being murdered by the same intimate partner.

Hutton said these motions are critical to informing the public about the severity and number of intimate partner violence incidents in our communities and giving people the ability to take action. It also can help people experiencing intimate partner violence feel safer to come forward and find help.

“This has been an issue that has existed for many, many years in a lot of shame and secrecy. I see it as something that really lets survivors know that they’re not alone. That they’re seen. That they’re heard,” Hutton said.

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