The True Costs of Gender-Based Violence in BC
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a widespread public safety and public health crisis in British Columbia, disproportionately impacting women, girls and gender-diverse people. More than one-in-three women in BC experience intimate partner violence, and over half experience sexual violence in their lifetime, yet most incidents are never reported. The consequences are not only devastating on a personal level—they ripple across families, communities and generations.
In many ways, the true costs of GBV are immeasurable.
However, we know the long-term financial and social consequences of failing to fully address GBV are both vast and unsustainable. With generous funding support from The Houssian Foundation and SPARC BC, we have engaged economist Robin Shaban to quantify the true costs of GBV in BC. This report will be released in 2026 and will help us highlight that the costs of gender-based violence are too high to ignore.
Some of the areas that we will unpack further in our report include:
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Economic costs: GBV leads to lost productivity, increased demands on health care, social services, policing, legal systems and housing supports. Survivors often face barriers to education and employment, resulting in long-term economic instability and poverty.
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Housing insecurity: Survivors are often forced to flee unsafe environments, leading to displacement, homelessness or precarious housing—particularly for women and children.
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Public health impact: GBV causes serious physical and psychological trauma, including chronic health conditions, PTSD, depression and substance use. The strain on health care services is significant and growing.
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Intergenerational trauma: Exposure to violence–either directly or indirectly–can have lifelong impacts on children and youth, perpetuating cycles of abuse, mental health challenges and systemic marginalization.
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Undermining gender equity: GBV reinforces systemic inequality, keeping women and gender-diverse people from fully participating in social, political and economic life.
Once the report is complete, it will provide a strong empirical foundation to support our advocacy to end gender-based violence, through robust prevention strategies and support for survivors.
For more information on our advocacy work, please contact Shauna Shortt at sshortt@ywcabc.org.
