Honouring a day to eliminate violence against women in Barrie

Barrie, Ont. -

A flag-raising ceremony at Barrie's City Hall honoured International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women.

Staff at the Women and Children's Shelter of Barrie and representatives in the community attended the ceremony, wearing purple scarves in honour of Woman Abuse Prevention Month.

Many communities across Simcoe County raised a Wrapped in Courage flag on Thursday to symbolize the commitment to end gender-based violence.

Statistics reveal that a woman is murdered by someone she knows every six days in Canada.

The Wrapped in Courage initiative shows community support for women who have fled domestic violence and lets them know they are not alone.

Teresa MacLennan, executive director of Women and Children's Shelter of Barrie, says that the shelter has faced a growing number of calls since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Because of the COVID pandemic, we also know that those statistics are now even worse," MacLennan says. "The amount of women who have been murdered this past year has increased by over 52 per cent."

The Women and Children's Shelter of Barrie offers a 24-hour crisis line for those in need and can be reached at 705-728-2544.