Out of Violence

Freedom from violence is essential for everyone. You can support survivors of gender-based violence to get the help they need to heal and rebuild their lives.

Learn about the Rebuilding Lives programs you support

Gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and emotional abuse, happens at alarming rates in Canada. According to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability, in 2020, 160 women and girls were killed by violence in Canada. That’s an average of one woman or girl killed every 2.3 days. And sexual assault, one of the most under-reported crimes in Canada, is also the only violent crime not on the decline (Statistics Canada, 2017).

Any woman, girl, Two Spirit, trans or non-binary person can experience this violence. Some are at even greater risk and have less access to relevant services, including Indigenous women, Black women, 2SLGBTQIA people, young women, and women with disabilities.

Leaving an abusive relationship, reporting an assault, or seeking help after violence can be difficult and has its own risks. Those who do have to navigate a maze to get safe housing, legal help, a good job, childcare, health services, affordable counselling, and more.

Why is ending violence urgent?

Gender equality will not be achieved if diverse women, girls, Two Spirit, trans, and non-binary people are not safe from gender-based violence and the threat and fear of violence at home, work, and in their neighbourhoods. And this violence is preventable.
Violence harms and traumatizes those who are directly victimized. It also harms their dependents, families, and communities.
Gender-based violence has a profound effect on children. One in three adults report experiencing child sexual abuse or physical abuse and/or exposure to intimate partner violence, and it is strongly linked to mental health concerns (Affifi et al., 2014). The consequences are significant and “can create vulnerabilities over the life course” (Alaggia and Donohue, 2017).
Beyond the human suffering it causes, gender-based violence costs billions of dollars. According to a 2013 Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives report, the annual cost of adult sexual assault and intimate partner violence is $334 per person or $9 billion for all of Canada.

Ending Violence and Rebuilding Lives

The Canadian Women’s Foundation invests in programs to prevent and intervene in situations of gender-based violence. They provide services such as emergency shelter, housing support, help to rebuild life after abuse, sexual assault and exploitation crisis support, child witness to violence programs, and healthy relationship education for teens. They do complex work necessary to break the cycle of violence in families and communities.

Teen Healthy Relationship grants enable young people of all genders to learn about dating violence, sexual assault, and how to build safe, healthy, and equal relationships
Rebuilding Lives grants help survivors find safe housing, sexual violence support, counselling, legal support, and help children witnesses to violence.
Rebuilding Lives Grantee Partners 2024-2028

Building Excellence Beyond the Local Program

Help create a Canada where every survivor is supported, cycles of violence are broken, and gender-based violence becomes a thing of the past.

We support regional and national service providers to coordinate their work, share promising practices, undertake research on new approaches to end violence, and influence decision-makers to approach violence prevention and intervention in the most effective ways.

Learn about Building The Field of Teen Healthy Relationships, a national collective action initiative that brings together young people, community programs, academics, policymakers, and funders to strengthen the future of teen healthy relationships programming.

Out of Violence Donors and Partners

$100,000+

GreenShield Canada
Royal LePage Shelter Foundation
Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health™

$50,000-$99,999

The Allstate Foundation of Canada
Citi Canada
Loblaw Companies Limited

$10,000-$24,999

The Body Shop Canada Limited
Linde Canada Inc.
Margaret Newall
Matthew Phillips
Palo Alto Networks Canada
Kim Tremblay

“When I look at my life now, I am proud.” (Sophia, Rebuilding Lives Program participant)

“These programs need to be available to everyone. I want future generations to grow up in a different world. I want equality.” (Ben, Teen Healthy Relationships Program participant)

Read Ben’s Story