EVE calls on Ontario political parties to address the province’s sexual violence crisis, intimate partner violence

The End Violence Everywhere logo. February 2025. (End Violence Everywhere/Facebook)

End Violence Everywhere (EVE), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic violence, is urging all political parties in Ontario to take a clear and actionable stance on addressing intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence.

“EVE (is) calling on the party leaders to release platforms on how they will address it,” said Ish Van Der Rassel, a North Bay native and a government relations and community outreach advisor for the organization, in an email to CTVNorthernOntario.ca.

The organization has issued 18 critical questions to political leaders, demanding concrete commitments to legal reform, survivor support and violence prevention.

The organization’s questions focus on justice and legal reform, homicide and systemic failures, housing and economic stability, trauma recovery and support services and prevention and education.

In a news release, EVE highlighted systemic failures in Ontario that allow perpetrators to evade accountability while survivors struggle without adequate support.

“No parties have formally responded to requests for platforms with judicial changes,” the organization said.

Ontario is currently facing a crisis of IPV-related homicides, underfunded victim services and a legal system that routinely fails survivors. EVE’s questions span five key areas and aim to hold political leaders accountable for addressing these issues.

“We are tired of hearing that ‘more needs to be done’ while survivors remain unsafe, unsupported, and unheard,” EVE said.

“These are not abstract policy issues – these are life-and-death questions. We demand clear commitments, not vague promises.”

EVE is also calling for emergency funding for transitional housing, expanded trauma-informed therapy, and mandatory education in schools on consent, coercive control and healthy relationships.

The organization’s key demands include government-funded legal representation for survivors, mandatory judicial training to address bias and reforms to bail laws to prevent repeat offenders from being released.

EVE’s call to action comes as Ontario grapples with a growing crisis of gender-based violence, with survivors and advocates demanding urgent and meaningful change.

“With Ontario at a breaking point, EVE is urging all political leaders to provide direct answers to these 18 questions and take immediate action to protect survivors and hold perpetrators accountable,” the organization said.

EVE’s critical questions

Justice and legal reform

• Will your party ensure government-funded legal representation for all survivors of IPV and sexual assault, regardless of income?
• What policies will you implement to address the lack of criminal trials for IPV and sexual assault cases?
• Will you push for mandatory judicial training to eliminate bias and systemic failures in cases involving IPV and coercive control?
• What measures will you take to enforce restraining orders and hold abusers accountable?
• Will you reform bail laws to prevent repeat offenders from being released back into the community?
• Will your party declare IPV an epidemic in Ontario?

Homicide and systemic failures

• How will your government address preventable femicides caused by justice system failures?
• Will you implement a province-wide review board to track legal system failures in intimate partner homicides?
• What steps will you take to support families seeking justice for murdered loved ones, including access to legal aid and victim services?

Housing and economic stability

• Will you commit to emergency funding for transitional housing to keep survivors safe?
• How will you ensure funding for EVE’s Modular Homes Initiative, providing long-term stability for survivors?
• What financial supports will you introduce to help survivors rebuild their lives, including education, job training, and childcare?

Trauma recovery and support services

• What funding will be allocated to expand trauma-informed therapy, including EMDR, for survivors of IPV and sexual violence?
• Will you ensure free and immediate access to mental health support for survivors?
• How will you address service gaps for survivors experiencing PTSD, anxiety, and long-term trauma?

Prevention and education

• Will your party commit to mandatory education in schools on consent, coercive control, and healthy relationships?
• How will you strengthen protections for children exposed to domestic violence?
• What investments will you make in community-based programs to prevent gender-based violence before it escalates?

EVE is a non-profit organization committed to supporting survivors of domestic violence, raising awareness about intimate partner violence and advocating for systemic change.

“EVE envisions a world where all individuals can live free from violence and oppression,” the organization said on its website.

For more information, visit endviolenceeverywhere.org.