Sask. political parties get middling grades for plans to address high domestic violence rates : PATHS report

Saskatchewan's political parties have received mixed grades on how they would tackle the province's domestic violence crisis.

Jo-Anne Dusel, the executive director of the Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services of Saskatchewan, or PATHS, put three questions to all six political parties registered for this year's election.

Only the NDP and the Saskatchewan Party responded.

Dusel said if theparty that forms the next government after Monday's election doesn't address domestic violence in a meaningful way, the province will carry on its disappointing distinction of high rates "not only of intimate partner and family violence, but the highest rates of sexual violence, of abusive elders, of child abuse."

Saskatchewan consistently has the highest rates of intimate partner violence among Canadian provinces.

"If this is not taken seriously or addressed in a meaningful way, it means approximately every three months, a woman is going to be killed by a current or former intimate partner," said Dusel.

The two parties that responded to PATHSwere graded on their answers to each question.

The first asked whether the party would commit to develop a comprehensive provincial plan to address intimate partner and family violence.

"Intimate partner and family violence is complex," Dusel said. "Addressing the issue piecemeal, with an effort here or an effort thereyou're never going to actually shift the very high rates."

The NDP scored an A for its response, and committedto developing an action plan to deal with interpersonal violence, which the Saskatchewan Party did not.

Dusel noted the Sask. Partycited some of the work it has done during its last13 years in power, including actions stemming from theDomestic Violence Death Review recommendations. But she noted that doesn't equate to a plan and only a handful of recommendations were acted upon.

Dusel gave theSask. Party aBfor its response, which also noted it would continue work on the issue if re-elected.

The absence of a comprehensive plan to tackle violence could be dangerous, Dusel said.For example,a well-intentioned public awareness campaign couldactually create more challenges for an overburdened system if more resources aren't put in place to meet increased demand, she said.

Saskatchewan's sheltersare already struggling to meet demand, Dusel said. That's why anotherquestionasked parties if theywould increase operational funding shelters and services working to fight violence toward women, and commit to annual increases based on rates of inflation.

The NDP noted funding had not kept pace, but did not commit to increased funding if elected, and was given aC for its response.

Lack of adequate funding

The SaskatchewanParty got a D on the funding question.

"The Sask. Party states they review the needs each year, so for the last decade they have reviewedshelters' needs and foundthat meaningful increases were not possible or appropriate," Dusel explained.

She said shelters doing front-line domestic violence workhaven't had a meaningfulincrease to operational funding in the last decade, even thoughbasic costs such as utilities,food and transportation havegone up.

The combination of low wages and the difficult, emotional and demanding work have created low morale and high rates of turnover,she said, adding the problem has been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's very difficult to attract new staff when people with the same skills and training can get jobs within the public service and make, in some cases, nearly double the wage.

"Why would people want to work in a domestic violence shelter and experience all of the vicarious trauma for that wage?"

No promises for 2nd-stage shelters

PATHS also asked parties if they would provide ongoing operational funding to second-stage shelters those that offer long-term support to victims of violence who are trying to escape violence at home, and provide anext step after a crisis shelter, where stays max out after a few weeks.

Both parties earned a "C" grade after indicating they would review the request.

"Saskatchewan is one of only two provinces in Canada that provide absolutely no operational funding to second-stage shelters," Dusel said.

She said the province's extremely low minimum wage and "inadequate social assistance" makeit hard for many victims to gain independence, which often drives them back to their abusive partner.

Second-stage shelters are meant to help victims and their kids get back on their feet and find independence while also offering counselling and other healing tools.

Dusel said other provinces,like Ontario and B.C., have proven that domestic violence rates can be lowered if effort is made.

In those provinces, she said, "there is an effort by the government to actually address it in an evidence-based and co-ordinated collaborative fashion, and that simply hasn't happened here in Saskatchewan."

If you need help and are in immediate danger, call 911. To find assistance in your area, visitsheltersafe.caor the Ending Violence Association of Canada.In Saskatchewan, PATHShas listings of available services across the province.