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November 24, 2008

A piece of paper with teeth

Women fleeing violent men are about to get better protection.

The province is moving to protect women and children from abuse by making it a crime to violate a restraining order.

In Canada, one to two women a week are killed by their current or former partner and the majority of women murdered by their ex-husbands or boyfriends are killed after they have left him.

Now women who have gone to court to get a restraining order to prevent their partner from contacting them have to go back to court to get it enforced.

Meaning a restraining order is worth less than the paper it's printed on for women trying to escape an
abusive husband or boyfriend.

That's about to change with this new legislation and it's so encouraging to see governments taking simple, practical steps to try to protect abused women and their children.

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Comments

Good for the province on this one; now, when will it get the federal nod?

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Jennifer O'Meara

  • Jennifer O'Meara is a born and raised third-wave feminist. She's interested in all things that affect women's lives from politics to pop culture.

    Email Jennifer

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