During Tuesday’s council meeting, councillors received a deputation about ongoing efforts to end gender-based violence.
Holly Baines, Public Engagement Coordinator for Alternatives for Women, explained the ongoing local impact of gender-based violence on the people in the community.
During her presentation, Baines shared that victim services received 90 calls last year for Prince Edward County, and 55 of them were for intimate partner violence. She also explained that women in rural areas were 75% more likely to be at risk than women in urban areas.
Baines said that sexual assault and harassment are both on the rise.
“Young men have started saying ‘your body, my choice’ based off the feminist ‘my body my choice’ said Baines. “It is such a threatening statement and young boys think that it’s okay to say those things to girls.”
During proclamations earlier in the meeting, Mayor Steve Ferguson declared November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, urging residents to support efforts to end gender-based violence.
In addition, a flag-raising ceremony will take place on November 25, at Shire Hall, in support of victims of gender-based violence.
