Femicide: women are once again sounding the alarm

Since the beginning of April, there have been three feminicides. It’s three feminicides too manyprotests Maud Pontel, general coordinator of the Alliance of shelters of 2^and stage for women and children who are victims of domestic violence (Alliance MH2).

According to her, the beginning of deconfinement contributes to a resurgence of domestic violence. With each wave of deconfinement, there has been an increase in feminicides, so we can make the link between deconfinement and the risks of acting out and therefore of feminicidesshe observes.

Nancy Gough, also apprehends the deconfinement as a pivotal period. The co-spokesperson for the Alliance gaspésienne d’aide et d’hébergement de la Gaspésie and director of the Emergence help and accommodation house in the Baie-des-Chaleurs, expects an increase requests for help and more serious physical violence.

She explains that the health crisis, with confinement, has further predisposed women to suffer domestic violence.

When a deconfinement is announced, or there is a resumption of activities, women reconnect with their loved ones, with their friends, with resources in the community. For the spouse, it can be experienced as a loss of controlshe says.

Getting out of the violence that isolates

It can take time for a woman to realize that she is in a toxic, problematic relationship and that she is in danger., recalls Maud Pontel of Alliance MH2. Detecting domestic violence can be extremely difficult, she says.

” Even the victims are sometimes not able to identify that they are in a dynamic of conjugal violence. »

Several speakers appeal to the victims, and those around them, to ensure that they always preserve their safety.

They argue that victims of domestic violence often do not dare to speak out and may feel guilty. Women sometimes feel as a result of the cycle of violence that they are responsible for the violence they experiencesays Maud Pontel.

Silence can sometimes be part of the strategies put in place by the victim to preserve his safety or that of his children. That woman maybe she was told if you leave me, i kill you, i kill the childrenso women are in survival strategiessummarizes the speaker.

Even if these strategies do not make sense for loved ones, it is essential to reach out to these women, without passing judgment. and question the victim about how she feels and if she feels in danger.

The general coordinator of the Alliance also adds that if necessary, you should never hesitate to join SOS violences conjugales, the emergency line in Quebec.

Reach out and reach out to victims

Separation really is the most dangerous time for victims of domestic violence, warns Maud Pontel. She explains that it is at this moment that the aggressor will lose his power over the victim and that we can observe an increase in violence.

” There are people who tell themselves that it is none of their business, on the contrary! Domestic violence is a social problem and it affects us all when a woman dies and children become orphans »

Since the start of the pandemic, 28 women have been murdered in the context of domestic violence in Quebec. Half of these feminicides took place in the context of post-separation domestic violence.

Rethink the solution

Nathalie Babin, coordinator at the women’s center Centr’Elles Women’s Action Committee of Avignon, also calls for the empowerment of men.

There are organizations for you too. You mustn’t stay with that anxiety, that anger, that aggressiveness, you have to get that out, but in the right way.she advises.

” If it’s not right, if you feel that you have an aggressiveness in you, that there is something wrong, consult! »

In Quebec, the system is improving to allow victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to be better supported in the socio-judicial reporting process.

In December 2020, a committee of experts on support for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence issued a report rebuild trustwhich has 197 recommendations.

There are a lot of things to put in place, but there is an accelerated government process to put these recommendations in placeacknowledges Maud Pontel of the MH2 Alliance.

A law aimed at the creation of a specialized court in matters of sexual violence and domestic violence was notably adopted unanimously by the National Assembly on November 26, 2021.

With information from Kim Bergeron and Michel-Félix Tremblay