What use has been to declare the violence of the intimate couple an epidemic in Nueva Scotia?
According to Meghan Hansford, some good practical changes have emerged from him.
She points out a change of police agencies, which have begun to say in their initial public statements when they believe that a crime is the result of the violence of the intimate couple, and an extension of a license paid for the people fleeing the abuse.
But she is looking for more.
Hansford, who has a doctorate in family violence intervention and is the Adsum program manager for women and children, said that non -profit groups, including Adsum, are assuming a great burden to respond to the crisis and need more help.
“What we have not seen, since gender violence rates continue to increase, [is] The response of the provincial government that coincides with the scale of the problem, “he said in an interview.
New Scotland legislators unanimously adopted a bill on September 12, 2024, stating that the violence of the intimate couple is an epidemic. In the course of only a few months after the statement, there were a series of domestic homicides.
Prime Minister Tim Houston and other government officials met with a coalition of support groups at the beginning of 2025, and then joined almost $ 24 million for Give, more than four years, at the 10 transition houses in the provincethat helps women and children fleeing violence.
Hansford said financing will help transition houses to “stabilize”, but it is not enough.
How much money would be needed?
In total, in all departments, the current provincial expenditure on intimate couple violence is $ 102 million, $ 6 million less that Hansford says it should be the reference budget.
She said that an “epidemic” response would include $ 100 per capita, which would be $ 108 million for the current population of New Scotland of approximately 1,079,000 people.
She said an annual expense of $ 180 per capita, or $ 194 million, would be “transformer.”
Leah Martin, the New Scotland Cabinet Minister, responsible for the women’s status, said the work that the government has done during the past year, including the increase in spending.
“We would like to see that it continues to grow? Of course we would do it,” he said in an interview. “But we also have to make sure that mathematics of mathematics and money coincides.”
Even if the expense grows, Hansford said that the government also needs to change the way these funds are delivered.
She said that too much government’s money is assigned through annual grants, with groups that support the survivors of gender violence that apply again and again without any certainty about what their budget will be year after year.
Hansford and others have requested repeatedly Sustained and central financingthat the government has not committed.
Hundreds requested the table of the ministers
Martin said he believes that the province has come “jumps and limits” in the last year about his response to the couple’s intimate violence. He pointed out the table of the ministers on gender violence as the highlight.
The table, which is scheduled to meet for the first time in October, will be directed by Martin and the Minister of Justice, Beck Druhan. The objective is to “advance and promote the action to prevent gender -based violence and provide better support for victims and survivors,” according to the description of the province.
Members will include survivors, families, community organizations and first -line service providers. Applications for a place at the table were closed recently and Martin said the members are still being selected.
More than 250 people requested 25 points.
Martin said the answer reflects the prevalence of this type of violence.
“I hope to see that I get to an end one day, and that day is not today, but I am grateful to know that we have many people who are joining to see that this work progresses faster.”
Hansford said he believes that the ministers’ table could “play a vital role” in the stimulating change, especially “long -term transformation.”
But, he added, “there are critical and long -standing problems that demand immediate intervention and cannot be deferred to studies, reports or discussions.”
