YWCA Toronto’s Blog

No More Violence

Sami Pritchard, Dela Aziavor & Amanda Surujpaul

Gun violence has long been a problem in the City of Toronto. It is ever-present and impactful. As of September 18^th, 2022,there have been 302 shootings and of those 302 shootings, 146 people have been killed or injured.

Coverage of the issue tends to sensationalizes violence and focuses on gang activity. Within the discussions of gangs and guns what is often missing are the perspectives of mothers, women and girls impacted by gun violence – the forgotten victims of gun violence.  

YWCA Toronto has researched the intersectional impact of gun violence, producing a report in 2019 called “The Forgotten Victims of Gun Violence.” The conversation and dialogue that have taken place in the lead-up to and following the report have been robust, but we are eager to take further steps.

Together with community groups and organizations across the city, YWCA Toronto is welcoming anyone who would like to take action to join us on Saturday, September 24 to march against gun violence. People are set to gather at 2 pm at Yonge and Bloor before proceeding with a march to City Hall where a series of speakers and performers will present.

While we recognize that no single initiative is enough to end gun violence, we see the march as an opportunity to join as a community to commemorate victims and survivors. Women, mothers and girls, especially Black women and girls, are often left to pick up the pieces after violent loss and expected to grieve and heal in isolation with limited financial resources and social support.

The lack of municipal and provincial resources available to grieving families, and skewed perceptions that are held about gun violence by many members of the public and decision-makers, are all issues that must be tackled. To ensure communities can heal and grieve from the impacts of gun violence, a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the drivers of violence is needed – as are greater support services to heal from trauma and loss.

While there is researching exploring the connections between gun violence and poverty, racism and police discrimination, the impact of gun violence on women and girls, particularly Black women and girls is scarce. Without an intersectional gender analysis of the issues of gun violence, the true impacts on community safety and family health cannot be assessed.

Poverty and economic disparity are two root causes of violence. As poverty continues to increase in Toronto, disproportionately impacting Indigenous and racialized communities, we fear that violence will rise. We commend the federal government’s recent bill to put a national freeze on importing, buying and selling handguns, and protective measures to address the heightened risk of gun violence experienced by survivors of domestic violence and others seeking protection. But more must be done. We need deeper investment in affordable housing, youth programming, social assistance programs, and decent work and decent pay. We need better counselling supports for survivors and co-victims. All Torontonians deserve to feel safe and supported in their communities.

Saturday’s march will create space to allow expression and healing. We welcome all communities impacted by gun violence, and those that seek to support them, to come together to mourn, march and advocate for greater action and support.  We hope to see you there.

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