On motion of Maria Minna, it was agreed, — That, whereas violence against women constitutes a violation of the rights and fundamental freedoms of women and impairs or nullifies their enjoyment of those rights and freedoms;
whereas violence against women can take many forms, including psychological violence, physical violence, sexual violence, financial abuse, economic abuse and spiritual abuse;
whereas half of Canadian women (51%) have been victims of at least one act of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16;
whereas females make up the vast majority of victims of sexual assaults, criminal harassment, and kidnapping/hostage-taking or abduction;
whereas 52% of all female homicide victims in 2001 were killed by someone with whom they had an intimate relationship at one point in time, and four of five victims of spousal homicide are female;
whereas violence against women has severe psychological, physical and social consequences;
whereas violence against women is a manifestation of the historically unequal power relations between men and women;
whereas some groups of women, such as destitute women, women in institutions or in detention, female children, women with disabilities, and elderly women are especially vulnerable to violence;
pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Standing Committee on the Status of Women undertake a study on violence against women, including the issues of sexual assault and human trafficking, and recommend measures to achieve the elimination of violence against women in Canada.