While domestic abuse cases are on the rise around the world, The Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis has seen an increase in fear and risk locally.
“This is really really complicated stuff. This is not an easy situation,” said GWWC executive director Sly Castaldi, referring to how the pandemic has affected women in abusive homes.
“The level of fear has increased, the level of risk has increased,” said Castaldi who refrained from sharing specifics of situations to protect the safety of women who have been reaching out or are considering reaching out.
Castaldi says while the numbers of cases in the shelters have remained consistent, the organization is receiving calls from women who’ve never accessed the shelters before.
She says it's challenging to determine whether or not there has been an increase in domestic violence locally.
“If you can’t reach out, how would we know,” said Castaldi.
“You can imagine trying to reach out during this time if you are trapped at home with someone who is abusing you, you wouldn’t have the opportunity to reach out.”
GWWC staff has been providing services remotely since the pandemic was declared by email,video, and phone support.
Earlier this month, United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres emphasized the pandemic’s disastrous consequences on women and girls and urged leaders around the world to put women and girls at the centre of efforts to recover from COVID-19
“Nearly 60 per cent of women around the world work in the informal economy, earning less, saving less, and at greater risk of falling into poverty. As markets fall and businesses close, millions of women’s jobs have disappeared”, said Guterres.
With lockdowns in place, he said it also means that women who are already experiencing gender-based violence are now trapped at home with access to services becoming more difficult than it was before the pandemic.
Castaldi says the message she would have to anyone at this time is “if you know anyone who might be in an unsafe situation, find a way to check in with them that doesn’t alert a suspicion.”
“I would say to anyone who is in a high-risk situation, if you can find a way to reach out to our crisis line, please do,” said Castaldi adding that reaching out to the police is also always an option.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $40 million in funding support to be given to $40 million to be given to Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE). Out of that amount, $30 million was allocated to address the immediate needs of shelters and sexual assault centres with the G-W WIC receiving $13,000.
GWWC primarily depends on fundraising in order to operate and their annual gala which raises $100,000 on average each year, and scheduled for April 18 was cancelled as a result of the pandemic.
Castaldi said the grant helps at this time when the organization needs to purchase extra supplies such as Personal Protective Equipment, gift cards for people to buy food and supplies the organization needs to operate to get through the pandemic.
“We are here and we are doing our best to help our current clients and also to be able to figure out how to help any new clients,” said Castaldi.
“Our shelter is operating and all our outreach services are operating remotely so everything is way more challenging trying to do things in a safe way.”
