The Executive Director of the Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre in Chatham says violence against women has reached an epidemic and something has to be done to stop it.
A flag raising ceremony and a rally took place in Chatham on Wednesday to end violence against women.
The Chatham-Kent Coordinating Committee to End Violence Against Women in partnership with the Chatham-Kent Zonta Club hosted the events to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25.
The flag raising ceremony at the Chatham-Kent Civic Centre was followed by the annual Zonta Bridge Walk on the 3rd Street Bridge.
Chatham-Kent Coordinating Committee to End Violence Against Women Chair Karen Hunter, who is also Executive Director of the Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre in Chatham, told CK News Today it's important to recognize violence against women has reached epidemic proportions and support all efforts to end the violence.
"If you look at the statistics from the World Health Organization, what they find is one in three women worldwide will be experiencing physical and/or sexual abuse sometime in their lifetime and most of this is in the form of intimate partner violence from someone who they live with in their own home," said Hunter. "This needs to stop. No one organization can end violence. We need government, the justice system, health and community services, and certainly the community to recognize this and work together to help support [victims] and eliminate violence against women in our community."
Hunter also said the 15 beds at the Women's Centre have been full for months and with Christmas just around the corner it becomes very difficult for everyone.
"Not getting any better that's for sure. At the Chatham-Kent Women's Centre we've been well exceeding our 15 bed limit for women and children and we have been for many months now," she added. "This is all a great cost to our community just in terms of mental health and health wise for women and children, it's astronomical and just very devastating."
Hunter said many factors contribute to the escalation of violence against women, such as stress from the pandemic and the job losses that came with it, along with increased homelessness, mental health and drug addiction issues, and the affordable housing crisis.
She noted many agencies, such as the CK Women's Centre, Chatham-Kent police, CK Victim Services, the courts, and the hospitals are all very busy dealing with the violence issue, adding it takes a complete team effort to deal with such a sensitive and difficult issue.
She also completely endorses parents and teachers educating young boys right from an early age about healthy relationships and how to treat women.
November is also Woman Abuse Prevention Month.