Behind Closed Doors | The Walrus

"Every 48 hours, a woman in Canada is murdered. In almost 80% of cases, the perpetrator isn't a stranger or a serial killer, but a man she should have been safe with: a boyfriend, husband, brother, uncle, father, or son. For these women and girls, home is no refuge; 77% are killed in a private location like their own home or one they share with the accused."

"Intentionally killing women or girls because of their sex or gender is called femicide. Marissa Kokkoros, executive director of Aura Freedom International, says it's a topic many would rather avoid. "There's no nice way of talking about murder," she admits, but she says the urgency of our current crisis requires tough conversations. "Almost 50% of women in Canada have experienced at least one form of intimate partner violence. ... It's worthy of our attention.""

Horror tropes portray home as refuge, but real-world risk for women in Canada is highest inside private spaces. Every 48 hours a woman is murdered in Canada; nearly 80% of perpetrators are known to the victim, often intimate partners or family members. Seventy-seven percent of these killings occur in private locations such as the victim's own home or a shared residence. Intentionally killing women because of their sex is femicide. Nearly half of Canadian women have experienced at least one form of intimate partner violence. Rising misogyny, manosphere ideas, backlash against feminism, and restrictions on reproductive rights contribute to increased violence.

Read at The Walrus