Canada Supports Engagement for Men and Boys to End Gender-Based Violence

From: Women and Gender Equality Canada

News release

November 28, 2022 – Toronto, Ontario – Women and Gender Equality Canada

Men and boys have a critical role to play as allies in preventing gender-based violence (GBV) and in achieving gender equality. Research has highlighted that the involvement of men and boys in strategies to prevent and address violence can make a real difference and reduce gender-based violence.

Today, the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, announced $599,774 in funding to support White Ribbon’s new project, titled Calling Men in as Allies for Gender Equality: Engaging Men and Boys by Utilizing GBA Plus. Minister Ien was joined by Humberto Carolo, Executive Director of White Ribbon, to announce the funding.

The new project will enable White Ribbon to focus on the crucial roles of men and boys in ending GBV through the development, piloting, and delivery of a new Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) certificate training and outreach program. This 30-month project will operate from November 2022 to April 2025.

The announcement comes as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an annual international campaign that unites people in Canada and around the world in calling out and speaking up against acts of GBV. The campaign takes place from November 25 to December 10.

Alongside the funding announcement, White Ribbon premiered a video directed by Oscar-nominated and Toronto International Film Festival People’s Choice winner Hubert Davis to formally launch their upcoming campaign: “I Knew All Along.” The campaign’s theme, “I Knew All Along,” suggests that many men and boys are aware of gender inequities and encourages them to act now to develop healthy masculinities.

Today’s announcement further supports the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, which recognizes the role of men and boys in preventing and addressing GBV. Since 2020, Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) has invested approximately $1.3 million in grants and contributions to White Ribbon for advancing work on engaging men and boys about issues related to gender equality and gender-based violence.

Quotes

“Every one of us has a role to play in ending gender-based violence, which continues to be a significant barrier to achieving gender equality in Canada. Every Canadian has the right to live free from violence, and by working together on projects like this – engaging all Canadians in the effort – we will make progress on this important goal.”

The Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth

“White Ribbon looks forward to implementing our Calling Men in as Allies for Gender Equality project with support from Women and Gender Equality Canada. With this new funding, we will be able to continue our mission to engage men and boys in ending all forms of gender-based violence through powerful and impactful initiatives, like our new public service announcement, ‘I Knew All Along/J'ai toujours su,’ designed to help men become part of the solution to building a gender-just future.”

Humberto Carolo, Executive Director, White Ribbon

Quick facts

  • Since 2015, WAGE has provided over $17.8 million in funding to 42 organizations for initiatives that advance work to engage men and boys; $13.8 million of this funding has been directed towards projects related to gender-based violence. Since 2018, WAGE’s Research team has invested over $275,000 in research specifically on engaging men and boys in gender-based violence prevention and advancing gender equality.
  • Recognizing the role of men and boys in preventing and addressing gender-based violence is a principle of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, which was launched in November 2022.
  • While violence affects people of all genders, ages, religions, cultures, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds, GBV disproportionately affects women and girls. Certain populations that are at risk of GBV or underserved when they experience various forms of violence include Indigenous women and girls; Black and racialized women; immigrant and refugee women; Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and additional sexually and gender-diverse (2SLGBTQI+) people; people with disabilities; and women living in northern, rural, and remote communities.
  • This year’s theme for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, “It’s Not Just,” serves as a reminder of both the injustice of gender-based violence and how society perpetuates cycles of violence by excusing the less violent and obvious forms of gender-based violence.
  • According to the 2018 Canadian Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces, 36% of men who had ever been in an intimate partner relationship reported having experienced some form of intimate partner violence (IPV). The prevalence of IPV is even higher among certain groups, including sexual minority men, of whom over 54% report having experienced IPV. In addition, more than one in four men (26%) reported that at some point before the age of 15, they had been physically or sexually abused by an adult.

Associated links

Contacts

Johise Namwira

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth

873-353-0985

Johise.Namwira@fegc-wage.gc.ca

Media Relations

Women and Gender Equality Canada

819-420-6530

CFC.Media.SWC@fegc-wage.gc.ca

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