Violence Against Women
Violence against women is the intentional use of tactics that give a person power and control over a woman by creating fear and/or dependency.
Violence against women happens in various forms between people who know, depend on, and have deep emotional ties to one another. Violence against women isn’t an illness, a disorder or an addiction. It’s a social problem that transcends all class, cultural and ethnic boundaries, and it is a crime.
Women often remain in abusive environments because they have minimal family support, financial means or housing alternatives. Armagh can help. As a transitional supportive housing program provider, we offer a safe and supportive environment for abused women, with or without children.
Our resources page contains a collection of helpful community resources, contact information for crisis lines and shelters, and information on other community resources as well.
Abuse may look like:
Physical Abuse: Any contact intended to cause physical suffering or bodily harm (e.g. slapping or choking)
Sexual Abuse: Using threats, intimidation, or physical force to force an individual into unwanted sexual, unsafe or degrading acts.
Emotional, Psychological or Verbal abuse: Destroying an individual’s feelings of independence and self worth (e.g. Making degrading comments about someone’s body or behaviour, confining a person to the house, destroying personal possessions, making treats)
Financial Abuse: Attempts by another to control an individual’s finances (e.g. stealing or controlling money/valuables, withholding basic needs, denying her the right to work)
Spiritual Abuse: Using religious or spiritual beliefs to manipulate, dominate, and control
Criminal Harassment/Stalking: Following or watching her in a persistent, malicious, and unwanted manner. Invading privacy in a way that threatens personal safety.
Statistics
Violence against women is a prevalent and well-documented social problem in Canada and around the world.
50% of all women in Canada have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16
On any given night in Canada, 3,491 women and their 2,724 children sleep in shelters to escape abuse
67% of all Canadians say they have personally known at least one woman who has experienced physical or sexual abuse
Indigenous women are killed at 6 times the rate of non-Indigenous women
Every 6 days, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner
70% of spousal violence is not reported to the police