User:HaleyHam/New sandbox

In Canada, women and children are facing obstacles in accessing social services as services have transitioned to offering services remotely. Both the severity and frequency of domestic violence have risen across the country since March 2020. This rise is a result of stress from the COVID-19 pandemic, fractures in the judicial system, and reduced social supports for families. The lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic has left many women unable to exercise independence, as many are losing their source of income or public identity, along with increased burdens of child or elder care caused by the shut-down of many physical venues. Maryam Monsef, Canada’s Minister for Women and Gender Equality, has cited an increase in gender-based violence of 20-30% in some areas in Canada as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown measures. Canadian victim services across the country were impacted due to a lack of accessibility to required resources to aid their clients as they shifted to working remotely with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes accessibility to legal aid and housing, access to medical aid, and mental health services. British Columbia’s Battered Women crisis line reported a doubling of calls in March 2020 compared to March 2019, and a tripling from April 2019 to April 2020, followed by levelling off to 2019 levels through the summer as lockdown restrictions eased. In Toronto, the Assault Women's Hotline answered 55,000 calls between March and September 2020. However, an additional 11,630 did not get through or were dropped before connecting. COVID-19 has exacerbated the availability of safe places of refuge for these women and children. During COVID-19, There has been a lack of emergency shelter for women both before and during COVID-19. The Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Housing has seen a significant increase in the number of women reaching out for help during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they suspect that many more are unable to reach out due to quarantining with their domestic-abuser, meaning they cannot be alone to make a phone call. The most dangerous time for a woman in an abusive relationship is when they attempt to leave. Canada included 50M CAD as part of its COVID-19 aid package to support shelters for those facing gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual assault. A 2020 report from Women’s Shelters Canada says this funding is still inadequate. Many shelters still raise their own funding to cover staff salary and other operating costs. In Manitoba, women's shelters receive fewer calls than previously. 1 in 4 Canadian women reports increased anxiety levels, and 1 in 5 report feeling depressed most of the time as a result of increased tension and violence at home. These heightened rates are expected to continue beyond the length of the COVID-19 pandemic as the dynamic in the household is fundamentally altered.