Agora: Red Deer Polytechnic Undergraduate Journal
Volume 15:1 2024 Agora Conference Proceedings

The Role of Gender Inequality in Domestic
Violence Against Women
Brandy Cowles
Why didn’t she leave? Have you ever heard this statement? Not only does this statement
victim blame women who experience domestic violence, but it also confirms a common societal
misconception that women always have the choice or ability to leave an abusive partner. Failure
to understand the barriers that women face when they are leaving an abusive relationship feeds
this epidemic. While I acknowledge that all genders experience domestic violence, my focus is on
domestic violence perpetrated against women. The impacts of domestic violence affect women
worldwide on a daily basis. The Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability
statistically shows that approximately every six days, a woman is killed by her intimate partner in
Canada (2024). My passion for raising awareness about domestic violence arose from losing a
good friend of mine to domestic violence and hearing about the numerous stories of women
worldwide who want to leave but cannot because of the barriers they face due to being a woman.
This essay explores how gender inequality perpetuates domestic violence against women through
examining definitions, historical factors, current circumstances, political inequalities, and society's
role in helping combat gender inequality.

Definition
To understand what domestic violence is, we must explore the multifaceted factors that
define it. An in-depth definition provided by The Domestic Violence Awareness Project defines
domestic violence as:
[Being] best understood as a pattern of abusive behaviours – including physical,
sexual, and psychological attacks as well as economic coercion – used by one
intimate partner against another (adult or adolescent) to gain, maintain, or regain
power and control in the relationship. Batterers use a range of tactics to frighten,
terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, often injure, and sometimes kill a
current or former intimate partner. Domestic violence, also known as intimate
partner violence, is a serious and widespread problem […] However, the burden of
domestic violence is not shared equally across all groups, with women and many
racial/ethnic and sexual minority groups being disproportionately affected. (2021)

While this definition presents an open-minded understanding of the various ways that domestic
violence can exist in a relationship, to fully comprehend, we need to examine the characteristics
of domestic violence.

What are the Characteristics?
As outlined by the Canadian Women’s Foundation, perpetrators can engage in domestic
violence against women in various forms of abuse, including physical, sexual, emotional, verbal,
and financial abuse, as well as criminal harassment or stalking. Characteristics of physical abuse
include punching, kicking, choking with hands or various objects, threats of the use of a knife or
gun, or committing murder. Sexual abuse can entail uttering threats, intimidation, or physical force
to coerce a woman into unwanted sexual acts. It is possible to identify emotional or verbal abuse
as threats to kill her or the children, humiliating and degrading her, confining her to the house,
isolating her, and other acts to demean and restrict her. Financial abuse occurs by stealing her
money, controlling her finances, forcing her to work, or not allowing her to work. Spiritual abuse
uses religion to manipulate, dominate, or control her. Lastly, criminal harassment or stalking
includes following her, watching her in a malicious, unwanted manner, or invading her privacy in
a way that threatens her safety (Canadian Women’s Foundation, 2016). A lack of knowledge
surrounding the many characteristics of domestic violence causes many to misinterpret that they
are experiencing abuse or being abusive and how history perpetuates gender inequality that
contributes to this.

The History of Gender Inequality
It is undeniable that throughout history, the marginalization and oppression of women have
been apparent, beginning with the Canadian government’s belief that the term “persons”
exclusively applied to men and that men should hold positions of governance over women.
(Famous 5 Foundation, 2023). These historical belief systems are still deeply embedded
throughout our governments, judicial systems, social systems, and society. This marginalization
persisted into 1876 when police arrested women for trying to vote. In the ruling, “the judge […]
referred to an ancient English Law that stated, women were not eligible for rights and privileges,
only pains and penalties” (Famous 5 Foundation, 2023). This fuelled the famous five to fight, and
on March 14, 1928, the five women went before the Supreme Court to debate the classification of
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“persons” to include women. However, the Supreme court judge denied the requests of the Famous
Five. Finally, on October 18, 1929, according to the Famous 5 Foundation, this changed: The
Famous 5 went before Canada’s highest court of appeal and fought for women to be recognized as
“persons” and won with the historic decision that women would be included in the legal definition
of “persons” (2023). Canada deemed October 18 Persons Day to commemorate this monumental
moment in women’s rights. While this was a step in the right direction for women, it also left out
women who faced intersectional marginalization.
The unequal treatment and intersectionality women encounter create more barriers to
having their fundamental rights of safety upheld. OXFAM International declares:
Gender inequality is one of the oldest and most pervasive forms of inequality. For
centuries it has caused discrimination and exclusion of women, non-binary and
trans people from social, political, and economic life. It has also blocked women
from leadership roles and has led to increasing gender-based violence. (2023)
Domestic violence is a social welfare issue, heightened by a lack of social service. Furthermore,
OXFAM International states that:
Women form the majority of those living in poverty. Governments and social
institutions increasingly treat women and LGBTQIA+ people unfairly and in a
biased way. They have fewer resources, less power and less influence compared to
men. [They] can [also] experience further inequality due to their class, ethnicity and
age, as well as religious and other fundamentalisms. Being treated equally and
enjoying the same rights [regardless of] sex or gender is a fundamental human right.
(2023)
The history of gender inequality that has historically created barriers to women seeking solace
from domestic violence is still evident today, as domestic violence against women has risen to
epidemic heights.

Current Domestic Violence Epidemic
Statistics compiled from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, and globally, illuminate the epidemic
levels of domestic violence women are enduring. In Red Deer, the number of women requiring
urgent help has been steadily increasing, with 2022 showing the highest need for assistance:
“Danica Hoffart, executive director of the Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter, said in
October [of last year] the shelter received 259 crisis calls, up from 180 calls during the same month
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in 2021, 159 calls in 2020, and 55 in 2019” (Zielinski, 2022). Hoffart also states that the forty beds
offered in the shelter are almost always at capacity with women and children (Zielinski, 2022).
Provincially, the increased needs of women’s domestic violence shelters are not being met
by the province of Alberta, resulting in domestic violence shelters turning thousands of women
and their children away last year. The provincial network of the Alberta Council of Women’s
Shelters, which oversees the organization of domestic violence shelters, “released its annual report
of shelter experiences in the province from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022” (Gibson, 2022). This
report found that of the 25,530 calls to request admission to a shelter, only 16.6% of those calls
resulted in shelters being able to provide admission (Gibson, 2022). Women are being turned away
from shelters at alarming rates, which forces women to choose between staying with their abuser
or becoming unhoused. Both options are not congruent to ensuring the woman’s safety. Either
choice will result in women living in high-risk situations and places, which increases their already
vulnerable state.
Nationally, there is an epidemic of domestic violence against women that desperately needs
immediate action. StatsCan says that in 2021,
police reported 114,132 victims of intimate partner violence […] aged 12 years
and older […] Eight in 10 (79 percent) victims of such violence were women
and girls, and the rate of victimization was nearly four times higher among
women and girls than men and boys (537 versus 147). (Al-Hakim, 2022)
Also in 2021, intimate partner murders resulted in:
90 homicide victims […] Three-quarters (76 percent) of these victims were
women and girls. The number of victims of intimate partner homicide in 2021
was higher than in 2020 (84 victims) and 2019 (77 victims). (Al-Hakim, 2022)
StatsCan based this data solely on police reports. However, “only about 25 to 30 percent of women
report” (Al-Hakim, 2022) occurrences of domestic violence. This means that unreported domestic
violence could be on the rise as well (Al-Hakim, 2022). This not only shows the importance of
the domestic violence issue but also how the lack of resources can result in women losing their
lives at the hands of their partners.
Globally, the WHO, on behalf of the UN Interagency Working Group on Violence Against
Women, analyzed data ranging across 161 countries and areas during the periods of 2018-2020.
They “found that worldwide, nearly 1 in 3, or 30%, of women have [experienced] physical and/or
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sexual violence by an intimate partner or non-partner sexual violence or both” (World Health
Organization, 2021). The devastating statistics of how many women and girls will lose their life
to an intimate partner due to domestic violence, as shown by the United Nations Office on Drugs
and Crimes, is that “Globally 81,000 women and girls were killed in 2020, around 47,000 of them
(58 percent) died at the hands of an intimate partner or a family member, which equals to a woman
or girl being killed every 11 minutes in their home” (2021). We need effective solutions to lower
the devastating rates at which women are experiencing domestic violence and raise women’s
ability to flee their abusers safely. However, that needs to start with providing additional resources
at a political level, which is crucial for women escaping domestic violence.

Political, Global, and Economic Influences
However, global societal “norms” that are set forth by male political figures ensure that
men hold the majority in government offices, which not only further perpetuates gender inequality
but also creates economic barriers for women to have the means to leave their abusers. When
interviewing political scientist Kathleen Arnold, they questioned her about her views on how
current policies or attitudes ignore the realities of domestic violence. Arnold responded:
while most abusers can act with near-impunity, targets of abuse are often arrested,
lose custody of their children and, even in the best of circumstances, are asked to
flee to a shelter. [The abused] often see more jail time than perpetrators, and abusers
succeed in securing child custody more often than targets of abuse. (DePaul
University, 2015)
Arnold went on to explain that although domestic violence happens in an interpersonal context:
[S]ocial attitudes, police enforcement (or lack thereof) and laws all contribute to
encouraging or tolerating abuse. Ironically, egalitarian attitudes like “it takes two
to tango” make us blind to inequality in relationships in a variety of political and
socio-economic contexts. When we view all relationships between men and women
in egalitarian terms, we then often focus on the target of abuse rather than the
perpetrator. We ask: “Why did she stay? Why [did] she [not] seek help?” [With this
mindset], we hold [the woman] responsible if children [witness] any abuse.
Counter-intuitively, this egalitarian attitude leads to an over-focus on targets of
abuse, while ignoring abusers’ actions and destructive tendencies […] If our culture
were to recognize this, responses would change and abusers may be held
accountable for their actions. Targets of abuse might call the police more [often],

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and society might demand fair sentencing and stop blaming women trapped in these
situations. (DePaul University, 2015)
These deeply engrained societal attitudes and the inability of many to see the clear inequality in
numerous relationships, keep women in unsafe living conditions out of fear of losing their children
and their lives.
Although governments enact laws to protect women and create equality, a fundamental
inequality is also apparent within governing systems. According to OXFAM International,
“women make up less than 24% of the world’s parliamentarians and 5% of its mayors” (2023).
This is not conducive to making changes toward women's equality if it does not take the
perspective of a woman with lived experience of the marginalization and oppression this inequality
causes. If parliament does not have equality in their offices, how can they help others to understand
that domestic violence is rooted in the inequality of women? Men cannot be the voice to make
changes for women’s well-being.
While poverty, unemployment, or economic recessions do not cause domestic violence,
these factors may increase the risk of a woman experiencing domestic violence. Studies have
shown that women living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods are twice as likely to become victims
of domestic violence. Financial problems for survivors of domestic violence are common and often
entrap women in either poverty or abusive relationships. Various obstacles obstruct battered
women from finding employment, maintaining employment, and using their wages to gain
economic independence and safety. We know that in times of financial stress and hardships, the
need for services increases, but providers of emergency domestic services are also struggling with
fewer resources and funds: “Eighty percent of domestic violence shelters nationwide report an
increase in women seeking assistance from abuse, with 73% of shelters attributing this rise in abuse
to financial issues […] 65% of women in shelters [cannot] find employment due to economy”
(Domestic Violence Awareness Project, n.d.). Shelters are feeling this economic struggle as they
do not want to turn away a woman in need: “In one day alone, domestic violence programs were
unable to meet 10,581 requests for services because of a lack of funding, staffing, or other
resources” (Domestic Violence Awareness Project, n.d.). To bring about change, we need more
women representatives to enhance the resources and safe options for women. This would include
working with frontline agencies and the social work profession.

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Social Work’s Role to Pursue Social Justice
Social workers need to be aware and acknowledge the harm that social work has done and
is still doing to victims of domestic violence. We must recognize that
The [looming fear] of having children removed by social workers is acutely felt
by women. Often this threat denies the efforts women have made to protect their
child from abuse and does not take into account the challenges and the increased
risk of violence faced by women when leaving their abus[ive] partner. (Watson,
2017)
Social workers need to challenge and remain aware of any biases they may hold of women who
are in domestic violence relationships to ensure they are not blaming the women victims. This not
only perpetuates the societal views that domestic violence is the women’s fault, but this may also
ultimately push a woman to leave the abusive situation before safety measures are put in place,
putting her and her child(ren) at an increased risk of deadly violence. Battered Women’s Support
Services explain that:
The statistics outline the reality that the most dangerous time for a survivor/victim
is when she leaves the abusive partner; 77 percent of domestic violence-related
homicides occur upon separation and there is a 75 percent increase in violence
upon separation for at least two years. These valid concerns must be addressed
with safety planning. (2020)
These statistics show that social workers must build a trusting relationship with the women they
serve to help women safely escape their abusive partners. It is a difference of life or death for these
women.
For social workers to meaningfully advocate for the elimination of domestic violence, they
must be at the forefront, working alongside domestic violence survivors as well as working
towards the prevention of domestic violence. Further, social workers must be trauma-informed
when working with survivors, as they will fight domestic violence on three levels: micro, mezzo,
and macro. Fighting domestic violence at the micro level or personal level includes “one-on-one
with victims to facilitate resources, advocating on behalf of the victim(s), and bypassing obstacles
that otherwise stand in their way of obtaining justice” (EKU Online, 2022). Social work at the
mezzo (community) level would encompass “interventions and treatment of the victim and their
child(ren), increasing general knowledge of the issue in the community (especially for law

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enforcement and health care professionals), and increasing the awareness of resources in the area”
(EKU Online, 2022). Finally, at the macro (systems) level social workers:
may work against the societal norms that perpetuate public health issues such as
[domestic violence], including gender inequality, or they may be working to
amend or eradicate laws that prevent or make it more difficult for victims of
[domestic violence] to safely leave their perpetrators. (EKU Online, 2022)
In “helping” positions, we must remain vigilant to our societal taught biases and challenge others
to do the same, to change their outlook and educate them on how to fight domestic violence.

What Can You Do as an Individual to Help Fight Domestic Violence Against
Women?
Although many do not believe they can fight something as large as gender inequality or
domestic violence, it is the actions of all individuals that create big change. The UN Women states
that “ending violence against women is everyone’s business” (2023). They outline ten tips to help
eradicate this epidemic, but I will highlight four:
1. Listen to survivors – When a woman is brave enough to share her story, that is her first
step towards breaking the silence and the cycle of abuse. Call out victim blaming if you
hear it: “Do not say ‘Why didn’t she leave?’ [But, instead] say, ‘We hear you. We believe
you. We stand with you’” (UN Women, 2023).
2. Teach the next generation and learn from them – We set examples for our younger
generations, and our examples will shape how they perceive gender, human rights, and
equality. Have open conversations with your children that challenge traditional gender
stereotypes. Teach them about consent. Listen to your children, for many are wiser than
we think (UN Women, 2023).
3. Advocate for responses and services for survivors – Call on governments to support women
by ensuring funding to shelters, helplines, counselling agencies, housing supports, and
other resources needed to help survivors safely leave their abusers (UN Women, 2023).
4. Start a conversation – Domestic violence against women and girls has existed for decades,
even though it violates women’s human rights. When we break the silence, we help
survivors know they are not alone, that we believe them, and that we stand in solidarity

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with them to fight gender inequalities that form the foundation of domestic violence (UN
Women, 2023).
By reading these four tips, you have already taken the first step to stand against domestic violence
and stand with survivors.
In conclusion, we can see that the longstanding effects of gender inequality on women are
not only a current issue but date back to 1928. These inequalities that society instills in us at a
young age have contributed to societal attitudes toward men’s and women’s expectations and roles;
these shape our views of what we accept and how we behave which perpetuate domestic violence.
To raise awareness and make changes, we need to start on an individual level by raising others’
awareness and challenging them to think differently. This is the beginning of a journey of advocacy
for women. I wrote this on behalf of all the women whose lives were stolen by intimate partners
and who can no longer speak out for themselves. We need immediate changes to our justice system
that include changing laws to better protect women experiencing or fleeing domestic violence.
Protection orders are not protecting anyone, and we need change, and we need it now. If we do not
see change soon, more women will lose their lives to their partners – it could be someone you love.

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Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability. (2024). Femicide is preventable.
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