Advocates for women experiencing intimate partner violence are calling for greater prevention, stronger protections and more funding for shelters following a recent string of suspected femicides in Quebec. On Thursday, dozens of protesters gathered outside the St. Michel metro station after three women were recently killed in suspected femicides. There have been 14 suspected femicides in Quebec so far this year. READ MORE: A 41-year-old woman was allegedly stabbed to death Wednesday by her partner in Inukjuak, north of Quebec. On Aug. 15, a 44-year-old woman was fatally stabbed to death in the St. Michel neighbourhood. Then two days later, another woman, also in her 40s, was found dead in her apartment in the same borough. Both were allegedly killed by their intimate partners. “It’s really like a crisis right now,” said Mara Audet, general director at Table de concertation en violence conjugale de Montreal (TCVCM). Audet was one of the organizers of the rally. “I think there’s not enough knowledge. There’s not a lot of prevention,” she said. Advocates also point to the province’s housing crisis as a major barrier for women trying to leave abusive relationships. “The first thing they’ll think about is the housing crisis, ‘Where would I live?, How can I pay rent?’” said Kavitha Culasingam from the Centre des femmes d’ici et d’ailluers. With the election campaign now underway, these groups are calling on the next provincial government to provide more financial support for women’s shelters. Quebec has taken steps to strengthen protections for victims of conjugal violence. In June, the National Assembly passed the ‘Gabie Renaud’ bill, which allows women to obtain information about their partners, including whether they have a history of violence. Still, some say more measures are needed. “So many men are arrested for a few hours and let go until months and months and maybe years later where they go through the whole trial, and meanwhile the woman is afraid,” said Corine Dugas of Mère-Enfant, a shelter for women who are victims of conjugal violence.
