Intimate Partner Violence Pathology
By Rubina Chowdhury
Politicians are arguing about this matter across Canada, especially in the Ontario Legislature.
Globally, 1 out of 3 women experiences Intimate Partner Violence. The World Health Organization identifies IPV as “a major global public health concern, as it affects millions of people and can result in immediate and long-lasting health, social and economic consequences. IPV impacts people of all genders, ages and socioeconomic statuses. It affects people of all racial, educational, ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds. However, women experience this form of gender-based violence at much higher rates, most often perpetrated by men. IPV can occur in both public and private spaces, as well as online. When children are exposed to IPV, it is considered a form of child maltreatment.”
IPV is a global issue. Why do major political parties in Canada oppose declaring an IPV epidemic? Because their leaders do not want to increase funding for systematic change. Canada claims to be a progressive social welfare country, but a major issue is being avoided.
In November 2025, the Ontario provincial government—specifically, the Progressive Conservative (PC) members of the Standing Committee on Justice—formally recognized intimate partner violence (IPV) as endemic rather than as an “epidemic.” That move prompted controversy. The use of the term “endemic” weakens the urgency of this social crisis. PC MPP Jess Dixon argued that “endemic” is more accurate because it describes a problem that is “persistent, deeply rooted, and profoundly harmful.” That’s the problem with their position. They do not want to take initiatives to remove the rotten roots of oppression in Canada.
The Ford government rejected over 100 requests to declare IPV an “epidemic” with some members arguing that “endemic” does not recognize the seriousness of the issue. NDPers, Liberals and change advocates criticized this terminology, stating it avoids the urgent, crisis-level response that an “epidemic” declaration entails. Some government officials argued that “endemic” better frames the issue for long-term prevention and systemic change. Why don’t they measure the seriousness of this crisis? Social advocates and opposition members said the turn away from “epidemic” is a pause tactic to avoid increased funding and accountability. What does the data show?
The coroner’s inquest into the 2015 Renfrew County murders of three women explicitly recommended declaring IPV an epidemic” not an “endemic” issue. Consider the IPV level in Ontario. Toronto Police published a report in November 2025, examining the decade 2014-2025. It shows the rate is high and it is increasing or steady. In Toronto, the reported cases for the past decade have ranged between 17,200 and 19,300. And yet, funding to vital services such as shelters and transitional housing has been cut. The Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses annual report shows every night 4 women are turned away from shelter doors in Toronto. Many shelters do not even allow homeless women. The 2025 Intimate Partner Violence Report published in the Ontario Legislature Government cites 356 victims of police-reported intimate partner violence (IPV) per 100,000 population aged 12 and older, a rate relatively unchanged from the previous year. Women are disproportionately affected, with rates 3.5 times higher than men, and they account for over 75% of police-reported victims. Roughly 44% of Canadian women report an experience with IPV. Between 2019 and 2023. 979 people were victims of intimate partner homicide, with 73% (719) of them being women. Every 6 days, a woman dies by intimate partner violence in Canada.
Houselessness impacts on gender-based violence and intimate partner violence. The Fred Victor Mission, using the definitions of Gender Based Violence and IPV developed by Women and Gender Equality Canada, reported, “nearly one-third of those experiencing homelessness are women, girls, and gender-diverse people. Yet, housing and support systems continue to overlook their needs, leaving many women and children without safe and stable options. Women’s homelessness in Canada isn’t just about a lack of shelter – it’s a deeply gendered issue, rooted in systemic failures that force women into housing instability and trap them there. Often hidden, this issue results from gender-based violence, economic inequality, and a lack of safe, affordable housing. Many women couch-surf, stay in abusive relationships, or avoid shelters to protect themselves and their children. Their struggle remains unseen, their voices unheard.
A 2020 survey by the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness found that 75 per cent of people experiencing homelessness or housing need identified themselves as survivors of Gender Based Violence. Other studies show that certain groups of people experience higher degrees of GBV and IPV including Indigenous women, people with disabilities, newcomers, and gender- diverse people. Ontario is increasing funding for shelters with over $26.7 million allocated for victim services and over $75 million for municipal emergency housing. However, the system faces immense strain, with critics urging an $11 billion investment over 10 years to address chronic homelessness. Toronto’s 2026 shelter budget is projected at over $700 million.
GTA organizations report that demand for services has doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels, yet government funding is dropping, with one agency reporting that project-based funding will fall from 35% to only 6% in 2026. Advocates are calling for 3% annual indexing to address the gap caused by inflation and chronic under-funding, noting that 147,000+ women and children were turned away from shelters in recent years. Average shelter stays have increased from 80 to 104 days due to a lack of safe, affordable, and transitional housing.
Recognizing Intimate Partner Violence as an epidemic is critical because it moves the issue from a “private family matter” to a public health crisis. Capitalism puts profit before people. For that reason, it is the primary cause of Intimate Partner Violence and Gender-Based Violence is a central component of socialist feminist and Marxist theory. This perspective argues that capitalism and patriarchy are intertwined systems where capitalist structures create, reproduce, and normalize violence to maintain economic control and exploit labor, particularly women’s unpaid domestic work. The legal and state institutions, often designed under capitalism-serving structures, are criticized for failing to adequately protect victims, or for punishing the victims. Another barrier for women, especially for women of colour is social stigma, which is related to the healthcare barrier. Often victims do not feel safe to seek help, like mental health and legal aid. Healthcare providers need urgent training to provide non-judgemental empathetic communication without personal stigma. Victims also feared being judged by the police and legal system. Police and legal service providers are not trained sufficiently on cultural sensitivity. People from various cultures settle in Canada, but the legal system is not respectful to people from different backgrounds. Police service needs special training to operate with an emphasis on public safety, instead of by intimidating victims. The total police yearly budget in Canada is approximately $22 billion. If vulnerable people across the country keep away from police due to fright, how can tax dollars funding Police services be justified?
As a revolutionary Marxist party, Socialist Action is profoundly committed to socialist feminism, which demands a new society that is not based on the minority rule of a rich, patriarchal boss class. Socialist Action insists that we can and we must eliminate IPV!
Full funding for support systems for all. Alleviate the stress factors that contribute to high rates of IPV: lack of good housing, shortage of transitional housing, shelter, physical health care, affordable groceries, mental health and legal aid.
Fund school-based prevention and provide education about ‘consent’.
Provide a support system for families, especially women of colour and children.
Continuing education, training, developing career paths and opportunities for women/vulnerable people. Reverse the cuts to OSAP. The amount of aid students can receive as grants will go down from a maximum of 85% down to 25%. That amounts to young people being pushed out of post-secondary education, with nowhere to go.
Bill C-225, known as Bailey’s Law, received Royal Assent on June 18, 2026. This law strengthens how the justice system responds to intimate partner violence, including greater recognition of patterns of coercive control, the repeated, ongoing behaviour that can trap survivors in abusive relationships long before physical violence escalates. The Criminal Code will be amended to include how seriousness, risk, and history of abuse are considered in bail and sentencing decisions. For many advocates, this is a significant step toward a system that better recognizes the realities of domestic and intimate partner violence, and responds to patterns of abuse with the seriousness they require.
Rubina is a feminist activist, and a writer in both Bengali and English. She was a rape crisis center worker, and is presently the branch organizer for Socialist Action in Toronto