December 6, 2025
Today, we remember the 14 women murdered at Montréal’s École Polytechnique on December 6, 1989, targeted simply because they were women. We honour their memory and the countless women, girls, and gender-diverse people who have experienced violence in their homes, workplaces, and communities.
Gender-based violence is a crisis in Ontario and it is being made worse by economic insecurity and political choices. When workers lose their jobs, when communities are hollowed out by layoffs, and when public services are gutted, the risk of intimate partner violence and femicide rises. Survivors trapped in abusive relationships often cannot leave without financial security. Job loss means fewer options, more isolation, and greater vulnerability.
This year, Ontario has seen devastating mass layoffs, especially in rural communities, where the closure of manufacturing plants and other employers has wiped out hundreds of jobs in towns with few alternatives.
These economic shocks are compounded by the Ford government’s harmful actions:
- Mass layoffs and job losses with no provincial strategy to protect workers or communities, leaves entire communities without income. Survivors trapped in abusive homes have fewer options to escape.
- Cuts to employment and training programs, leaves displaced workers without pathways to new jobs.
- Underfunding of health care, child care, and public education, creates instability for families and erodes community supports.
- Cuts to ODSP employment programs and underfunding of social assistance have stripped away lifelines for vulnerable Ontarians.
- Privatization and deregulation, prioritizes corporate handouts over decent, secure jobs.
- Failure to invest in affordable housing and income security, forces survivors to remain in unsafe situations.
The Ford government’s choices have made life less safe for women and gender-diverse people. Economic insecurity is a driver of gender-based violence. When survivors cannot afford to leave, when shelters are full, and when jobs disappear, violence escalates. These are not accidents. They are the consequences of policy decisions that put profits ahead of people.
The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) and Ontario’s workers condemn the Ford government’s repeated refusal to act. Not only on gender-based violence but on the economic conditions that fuel it.
Less than 2 weeks ago, this government voted against a motion to create a comprehensive strategy to end gender-based violence. At the same time, its budget delivered billions in corporate tax breaks while ignoring the urgent need for stable jobs, fair wages, and strong public services. These choices put lives at risk.
The numbers don’t lie. Economic insecurity fuels violence.
- 43 femicides have been reported in Ontario since November 2024. Most of them committed by a current or former intimate partner.
- Intimate partner violence calls to police rose 18% in 2024, with rural areas seeing some of the highest increases.
- Economic insecurity is a key risk factor. Survivors without stable income or housing are far more likely to remain in abusive relationships.
- 70% of shelters cannot afford to double staff, and nearly 60% face shortages of relief workers, leaving survivors with nowhere to turn.
We demand better. The OFL and affiliates call on the Ford government to:
- Fund and expand gender-based violence prevention programs and survivor supports that meets the needs of communities.
- Guarantee paid leave for survivors of domestic violence.
- Invest in affordable housing and income security for women and gender-diverse people.
- Stop the cuts and create decent, secure jobs in every community.
- Address systemic inequalities that perpetuate violence, including gender discrimination, racism, ableism, and transphobia.
Violence against women is preventable. It requires political will, bold policy, and sustained investment. Workers know that safety is a fundamental right. At home, at work, and in every community.
Every time this government votes against action on gender-based violence, and every time it chooses corporate tax breaks over good jobs and public services, it sends a message that women’s lives don’t matter. We will not stand by while survivors are left without support.
Unions across Ontario are mobilizing during the 16 Days of Activism to demand change. We urge all workers to join us. Speak out in your workplaces. Participate in local vigils. Push for policies that make Ontario safe for women, girls, and gender-diverse people. Together, we have the power to end gender-based violence.
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