Aura Freedom recently contributed to the study of Bill C-16 by the federal Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
Bill C-16 represents a notable shift in acknowledging forms of gender-based violence that have historically been minimized or invisible within legal systems, including coercive control and femicide. This bill reflects an intent to recognize coercive control as a form of gender-based violence that extends beyond the discrete, physical acts of harm historically prioritized in legal frameworks; and to acknowledge and incorporate the term “femicide,” which – while currently limited in its framing and contextual grounding – signals an emerging recognition of the distinct nature of sex- and gender-motivated killings.
While the bill extends across a broader range of reforms, beyond coercive control and femicide, our submission focused primarily on these two areas. This focus reflects both the urgency of addressing coercive control and femicide within legislative frameworks, and Aura Freedom’s sustained engagement in developing impactful, evidence-informed approaches to their primary prevention, recognition, and response.
While legislation can be a valuable and necessary tool, Bill C-16 remains a criminal law reform bill, emphasizing offences and penalties as a means of responding to gender-based violence. It therefore does not adequately address prevention, systemic barriers, or wrap-around and long-term survivor support. This approach, in isolation, is insufficient in addressing the full scope and root causes of gender-based violence. Carceral measures respond to violence after it has occurred through a lens of punishment, but do not address the underlying social, economic, and cultural conditions that sustain gender-based violence, and therefore do not constitute prevention in any substantive or upstream sense.
To work towards the realization of its intended impact and harness this significant opportunity for change, Bill C-16 must be strengthened through a robust gender lens; a nuanced understanding of the spectrum of violence; the integration of training, implementation, and accountability mechanisms; the inclusion of impactful safeguards for survivors; and the embedding of investments in prevention and long term healing for survivors. Without these accompaniments, the bill risks falling short of its potential to contribute to meaningful, long-term change in addressing gender-based violence in Canada.
