New Gender-Based Violence Prevention Framework to Strengthen Local Public Health Action in Ontario

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Ontario partners introduced a new framework to support public health units to prevent gender-based violence and create the conditions for safe, healthy, and equitable relationships.

Developed by Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU), Southeast Public Health and Lakehead University, the Equity-Focused Population Health Framework for Gender-Based Violence Prevention outlines how public health units can address the root causes of gender-based violence (GBV) and advance health equity. By embedding prevention into core public health roles, the Framework supports coordinated, evidence-informed action across sectors.

In 2023, Thunder Bay City Council declared intimate partner violence – one form of GBV – an epidemic. Gender-based violence continues to be a serious concern in the region. According to a Statistics Canada report, Thunder Bay’s 2024 rate of police-reported intimate partner violence was 547 victims per 100,000 adults — about twice the Ontario rate and 1.5 times higher than the national rate.

“Gender-based violence is a public health issue with deep and lasting impacts on individuals, families and communities,” said Dr. Janet DeMille, Medical Officer of Health & CEO, TBDHU. “This Framework provides guidance on the scope and roles of public health and community partners to support the prevention of violence and help advance health equity.”

Dr. Helle Møller, Associate Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Lakehead University, who led the research supporting the Framework’s development added, “This initiative represents a truly collaborative effort among public health professionals, academic researchers and community partners. The GBV Prevention Framework was developed by building on existing evidence and harnessing the expertise of public health and partner organizations.”

The new Framework shows that gender-based violence can be predicted and prevented when we look at the health of the whole community. It gives public health units a clear plan to:

• Understand the factors in a community that increase the risk of gender-based violence.
• Take action to prevent violence, build safer and healthier relationships, reduce harm for people affected by violence, and support people who want to stop using violence.
• Explain the role public health plays in preventing gender-based violence and working with partners.
• Use strategies that are proven to work for long-term impact.

The Framework was developed as part of a Locally Driven Collaborative Project (LDCP), a Public Health Ontario (PHO) program which brought together public health units — along with academic and community partners — to collaboratively design and implement applied research and program evaluation projects on important public health issues of shared interest.

Learn more and see the digital download of the Framework.

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