The COVID-19 pandemic is the most serious public health and economic crisis Canada has ever faced. It has magnified the existing inequities in our society; and women, girls, youth, Indigenous peoples, and LGBTQ2 individuals have been disproportionately impacted.

Throughout the pandemic, women have supported both their children and communities, youth have missed out on educational and training opportunities, and gender-diverse individuals have been cut off from their support systems. The pandemic has impacted us all, and for those facing violence, the impacts have been severe. Since the beginning of the pandemic, many organizations providing gender-based violence related supports and services have reported a significant increase in demand and a rise in the severity of the cases.

This year marks the 30^th anniversary of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. This annual campaign unites people around the world to call out and speak up against acts of gender-based violence (GBV). This year’s theme is 16 Days and Beyond. It calls on all of us to continue our collective efforts to prevent and eliminate all forms of GBV year-round.

The campaign runs from November 25, kicking off with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to December 10, which is also World Human Rights Day. As part of the 16 Days, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women takes place on December 6, in honour of the 14 young women who were killed at Polytechnique Montréal in 1989. 

The only way we’ll be able to put the pandemic behind us is by making sure women in all their diversity are safe, that they have access to the same economic opportunities, and that their loved ones are being cared for. Since April 2020, Women and Gender Equality Canada has supported over 1,200 organizations providing gender-based violence supports and services, ensuring more than 1.3 million people have a safe place to turn. We’re working with partners, Indigenous leaders, and provinces and territories to advance a new National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. This is supported by a historic investment of $601.3 million over five years through Budget 2021.

I hope you join in participating in the 16 Days campaign by: 

• Wearing purple today, November 25, to raise awareness about gender-based violence;
• Joining the conversation on social media using the hashtag #16Days, sharing social media posts or creating your own; and
• Visiting the Women and Gender Equality Canada website to find more resources and tools to share with others

Gender-based violence has no place in Canada, and we will continue to work with Canadians to end it in all its forms.