OPINION: Intimate partner violence is not a women’s issue – where are the men?  

Article content

On June 6, 2025, the Ontario government rejected a unanimous consent motion to officially declare intimate partner violence an “epidemic”— even as it resurrected a committee to study the issue. Premier Doug Ford’s government has not explained its position, nor offered a path forward to effectively address the issue. The silence is not just disappointing, it’s dangerous.

Failing to name the crisis prevents us from confronting it with the urgency it demands. Every 48 hours, a woman in Canada is killed by her partner. This isn’t rhetoric — it’s reality.

In December 2024, a 23-year-old woman thought she was safe after leaving her abusive ex. But he returned, forced her into a car and drove it into the freezing Richelieu River before swimming away. She survived, but many aren’t as lucky.

Prominent journalist Sally Armstrong’s provocative question: “Where are the men?” strikes at the heart of the issue. IPV is too often labelled a “women’s issue,” placing responsibility on victims rather than addressing the root cause: Violence enacted by men. Women cannot end IPV alone.

Declaring IPV an epidemic isn’t semantic; it’s a public health approach that frames violence as systemic, societal and preventable. In 2022, Canada’s federal government launched a 10-year National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence, focused on prevention, survivors, justice, community-led solutions and social support. Ontario received $162 million in federal funding and pledged $1.4 billion over four years, with programs ranging from IPV-focused training for judges and education for high school coaches to promote healthy relationships among male athletes. At the municipal level, Toronto has declared IPV an epidemic, building on programs like the IPV Action Plan and SafeTO’s Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, but the action remains fragmented and under-resourced.

Each day, about 699 women and 236 children in Canada are denied access to domestic violence shelters. This crisis forces survivors into an impossible choice – returning to their abuser or facing homelessness. The lack of immediate options underscores the urgent need for increased investment in shelter capacity and survivor support. No one should endure further harm because they have nowhere to go.

IPV is rooted in power dynamics among men. Until men, especially those in leadership, speak up and act, change is stalled. We need men to be unequivocal: IPV is unacceptable and silence is complicity. Just as Bell’s Let’s Talk campaign shifted the conversation on mental health, corporations can lead public education efforts and business leaders can use their platforms to drive cultural change. We also need faith leaders to challenge harmful norms in their congregations and sports organizations to adopt respect and consent as foundational values.

As immediate next steps, we must:

• Declare IPV an epidemic in Ontario and across Canada to reflect its scale and urgency;
• Embed comprehensive education on respect, consent and intervention in schools, universities and workplaces;
• Expand shelter capacity with sustained funding so that when survivors seek help, no one is turned away;
• Define clear metrics, timelines and public reporting across all levels of government;
• Launch targeted public education campaigns that engage men as active allies and leaders.

It’s impossible to ignore the growing crisis of IPV. In the past three months, six women in the Maritimes have been killed.

The tragic deaths of these women — mothers, daughters, and friends — underscore the deadly consequences of inaction.

Their deaths are a direct result of warning signs being ignored, systems failing to intervene and a lack of comprehensive support for survivors. We can no longer afford to wait for another tragedy to mobilize us.

If we are serious about ending IPV, we must hold ourselves and each other accountable. The time for change is now. Corporate Canada must step up.

Ralph Lean is a distinguished counsel in residence at Ted Rogers School of Management and Claudia Redondo is a student at Lincoln Alexander School of Law, Toronto Metropolitan University