The long road to an ‘epidemic’ of intimate partner violence

In today’s Big Story Podcast, in 2015, three women were murdered in rural Ontario by a former partner who had been stalking them. Last summer an inquest into the murders came back with more than 80 recommendations. This month, the federal government joined Toronto and other municipalities in Canada in following one of them: Declaring intimate partner violence an “epidemic” in this country.

Julie Lalonde is an educator, advocate, and expert on intimate partner violence. You can find Julie’s resources on stalking and harassment here. She says that the pandemic declaration is an encouraging sign that the federal government is taking this issue seriously, but that it doesn’t mean the fight is over.

“We have to continue to hold the government accountable, and that includes provincial governments, because they do have a tremendous role in this conversation,” says Lalonde.

This declaration is a massive step, but will we follow it up with concrete action to address the escalating danger to women across the country?

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