As possible recession looms, advocate warn domestic violence could increase

Following a year filled with economic stress, the possibility of a recession has been a cause for concern among advocates working to end gender-based violence, who fear the increasing economic strain on Canadians will only grow the invisible pandemic happening to domestic abuse victims.

Since the pandemic hit in 2020, cases of domestic violence have steadily grown in Canada as police reports have shown an increase in violence against different women groups and children as people quarantined at home during the spike of COVID-19.

These concerning patterns are likely to increase as Canadians, particularly women, continue to struggle with the rising cost of living, affecting their ability to afford basic necessities, says founder of the Canadian Centre for Women's Empowerment (CCFWE) Meseret Haileyesus.

"When living costs increase, their (women) purchasing power is diminished, so that means they cannot afford anything and especially if there is an abuse at home financially, these women [can be] deprived even to pay for sanitary pads," Haileyesus told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview on Friday.