Social Work Activism: B.C. must act to save women, kids, from domestic violence

My letter in the Province. It is heartbreaking that on the eve of Mother's Day another mother lost her life to a male attacker in B.C. We cannot be silent about violence against girls and women. Social workers are on the front lines of this war and we have opportunities to intervene to support women and their children. 

Letter of the Week: B.C. must act to save women, kids, from domestic violence

Young, T. (2014). The Province. Retrieved from:  http://blogs.theprovince.com/2014/05/11/letters-b-c-must-act-to-save-women-kids-from-domestic-violence/

How many B.C. women must be bruised, bloodied and murdered by their male partners before the provincial government takes action in this domestic war against women?

How many children in B.C. must face a future where their mother will not get to be there to see them grow up?

In less than a month, numerous headlines have captured the picture of the extreme intimate-partner violence afflicting far too many women and children.

As your article points out, the Provincial Office of Domestic Violence is once again missing in action when it comes time to discuss what the office might be doing and what strategic and concrete action it is taking to make B.C. a safer place for children and women.

PDOV was formed in 2012 in response to recommendations from the Representative for Children and Youth, who completed reports on two cases of domestic homicide. Both of these cases were preventable tragedies if the systems involved had been paying attention and acting with conviction to keep the women and children involved safe from their abusers.

Reviewing the provincial domestic violence plan for 2014-2015, it is clear that there is no real action plan. There is only the appearance of having a plan based on “proposed actions” and scant details about how women and children will be safer.

It is time for the B.C. government to stop with the smoke and mirrors. Abuse, attempted murder and spousal homicide of their mothers should not be the memories children carry with them from childhood.

The dynamics of family violence are complex, but solutions are within reach. Other jurisdictions have seen improvements from taking real action, so it is time for the B.C. government to stop dragging its feet and listen to advocates for women and children and those who have experience in this area who have strategic, concrete ideas about how to improve the safety of women and children.

Tracey Young, Vancouver