Bill C-21andGender-BasedViolence: PrioritizingIndigenousandNorthernWomen’sSafetyinGunControl Policy AboutusTheYukonStatusofWomenCouncil(YSWC)isanon-profitorganizationthatadvocatesforwomen’sissuesonasystemiclevelwithalllevelsofgovernment,conductsresearchandreportstheresultstoprovideavoiceforYukonwomen.Usingcommunity-based,participatoryresearchmethodsandanintersectionallens,YSWChasbeencoordinatingresearchprojectsforover50yearsincluding:“‘It’sJustaRutthatKeepsPullingYouBackIn’:YukonStatusofWomenCouncilExperiencesofPrecariouslyHousedandUnhousedWomeninWhitehorseDuringthePandemic&theUnintendedGenderedPolicyImplications”,“COVID-19ImpactsontheLivelihoodsandWell-beingofWomenintheYukonTowardaResilientandInclusiveRecovery”,“NeverUntilNow:SurveyofIndigenous&RacializedWomenMineWorkersYukon&NorthernBritishColumbia(2021)”,“TaxiSafetySurveyReport(2022)”,andourrecentSSHRC-fundedCommunityGBVRiskAssessmentproject.ThisbriefwaspreparedwithsupportfromtheNationalAssociationofWomenandtheLaw(NAWL).

Contextandoverall positionIndigenousandNorthernwomen’sgroupshavenotbeenheardduringthestudyofBillC-21bytheSenate.Whilewomen’sgroupsandIndigenousgroupswereheard,itiscrucialtohearfromwomen’sgroupswhoarefamiliarwiththerealitiesoftheterritoriesandIndigenouscommunities.GiventheabsenceofvoicesrepresentingourrealitiesinthedebateonBillC-21,wesharethisbriefwithSenatorssothattheycantakeaninformedpositionontheBill.OuroverallpositionisthattheSenateshouldadoptBillC-21withoutamendmentandresistattemptstopaintreasonableguncontrolmeasuresasanti-Indigenous.

Yukonwomenareparticularlyvulnerabletofirearm-relatedintimatepartnerviolenceWhiletheSenatecommitteehasheardfrommorehuntersandhobbyiststhanviolenceagainstwomenexperts,itisimportantthatSenatorskeepinmindtheveryrealconnectionbetweenfirearmsandintimatepartnerviolence.Guncontrolisagenderedissuethataffectswomenandmendifferently.Inparticular, researchhasshownthat:● Firearm-relatedintimatepartnerviolenceismorefrequentinruralareas,especiallyintheruralNorth.● 25%offemalevictimsoffirearm-relatedviolentcrimearevictimizedbyacurrentorformerintimatepartner,comparedtoonly2.2%ofmalevictims.● Inruralsettings,firearmsarethemostcommonmethodtomurderanintimatepartner;theyarealsothemostcommonwaytokillchildren.Recently, theMassCasualtyCommissionhasalsohighlightedtherelationshipbetweenfirearmviolenceandviolenceagainstwomen,notingthathavingaccesstoafirearmislinkedtoamorethantenfoldincreaseinthelikelihoodthatamanwillkillhispartner, asopposedtocommittingnon-fatalviolence.Gunownershipisthesinglegreatestriskfactorforfemicide.TheseconsiderationsareparticularlyimportantinthecontextofYukon,whereratesofviolenceagainstwomenarehighandaccesstofirearmsiscommon.Indeed,Yukon’srateofviolentcrimeagainstwomenisfourtimesthenationalaverageandIndigenouswomenaredisproportionatelyrepresentedasvictimsofthesecrimes.Additionally, incertainprovinces,so-called“Clare’slaws”enablewomenatriskofdomesticviolencetobenotifiedoftheirpartners’previoushistoryofdomesticviolenceorviolentacts,butsuchlegislationisnotavailableinYukon.Yukonalsofacesahousingcrisisthatincreaseswomen’svulnerabilitytointimatepartnerviolence.Therefore,anintersectionalandfeministanalysisofBillC-21mustrecognizethehigherrisksthatgunownershipposesforwomen,andespeciallyIndigenouswomen,inregionswithhighlevelsofgender-basedviolence.

PeopleinYukonarevulnerabletofirearm-relatedviolencecausedbyorganizedcrimeInrecentyears,organizedcrimehasbeenontheriseinYukon, astheterritoryhasbeentouchedbythegrowingCanadianopioidcrisisandasvariousorganizedcrimenetworkshavebecomeentrenchedinYukon.Lastsummer, theYukonRCMParrestedamanallegedlyinvolvedinorganizedcrimewhoisfacing25criminalcharges,includingwhatislikelythefirstchargerelatedtoorganizedcrimeinYukon’shistory.

Thepoliceseized“acollectionof11shotguns,rifles,handguns, andotherillegalfirearms,ammunitionandhigh-capacitymagazines,quantitiesofdrugs thatappeartoincludeXanax,cocaine,fentanyl,heroin,methamphetamine,hundredsofunidentifiedcapsules,aswellas$163,887incash”.LikeelsewhereinCanada,organizedcrimeinYukonisathreattopeople’ssafety,health,andeconomicprosperity.Increasedaccesstofirearmsandhandgunsincreasestheriskofviolenceandfatalitiesinthecontextoforganizedcrime.Webelievethatrestrictionsonaccesstofirearms,forinstanceincasesofintimatepartnerviolence,restrictionsonhandgunownership,andmeasurestoaddress“ghostguns”inC-21willbeusefultopreventandaddressorganizedcrimeinYukon.

PeopleinYukondonotneedhandgunsforprotectionfromwildanimalsDuringthestudyofBillC-21,referencewasmadetotheparticularneedsofpeopleintheNorthwhomightneedfirearmstodefendthemselvesagainstwildanimals.ItisimportantforSenatorstounderstandthathandgunsarenotused,norneeded,toprotectoneselffromabearoramooseinnortherncontexts.Thisisbecausethelargerthecaliberofthebullet,themorethekickbackfromthegun,andthelongerthebarrel/stockofthegun,theeasieritistoaimandtocontrolthekickback(withalongerbarrel,theforceoftheprojectiledissipates).Therefore,theidealweaponformanybushfolkisashotgunloadedwithslugs.TheideaofIndigenousandnorthernpopulations’needforcertainfirearmshasbeenexploitedbygunadvocatesinthecontextofdebatesonguncontrol.Yetthepushagainstrestrictionsonhandgunslargelycomesfromsportshootersandgroupswitheconomicinterestinthefirearmsindustry.TheinterestinaccessinghandgunsforsportandrecreationcannottrumpthesafetyinterestofwomenandIndigenouswomen.Safetymustcomefirstindevelopingfirearmspolicies.

ConclusionThegunlobbyandopponentsofguncontrolhavetriedtopaintthemselvesaspro-IndigenousandtomobilizeIndigenouscommunitiesagainstthisbill,resortingtodisinformationandfeedingconfusionaboutthebill. WefeelcompelledtoshareourexpertiseandexperiencetocallonSenatorsnottoletsomepeople’s(predominantlymen’s)interestinsportanddesirefor“firearmsrights”trumpourwomenandourIndigenouswomen’srighttosafety, protection,andalifefreeofviolence.