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The to the rising rates of gender-based violence, highlighting an ongoing, but growing, crisis.

For decades, have called for stronger supports for victims/survivors and their communities, underscoring the urgent need to direct resources towards violence prevention and community services.

As an expert in gender-based violence and prevention, I recently that looked at how the #MeToo movement and COVID-19 pandemic have changed the landscape of gender-based violence in North America.

A key finding from this project is that awareness of gender-based violence is growing. This finding offers opportunities and hope, but my research also highlights the limitations of increased awareness. It raises some important questions: what does this awareness mean for victims/survivors? And what are the implications for violence prevention efforts?

Gender-based violence awareness

Awareness of gender-based violence includes understanding how prevalent it is, the different forms it can take—for example, physical, emotional, sexual and economic—and the impacts it can have on individuals and communities.

Awareness also includes knowing how to intervene, prevent violence and provide information about the kinds of supports available in one's community.

Research shows that greater awareness helps individuals and . This is a vital first step that victims/survivors take before seeking help. Help-seeking is a difficult process that involves disclosing one's experiences to get support.

This is why the #MeToo movement was so powerful. It gave rise to public dialogue about sexual violence and gender-based violence, leading to disclosing their experiences.

The movement also resulted in an . In 2017, the same year the movement originally founded by Tarana Burke emerged online, there were more police-reported sexual assaults in Canada than in any year since 1998.

Seeking help is crucial

Seeking help is directly linked to improved well-being and social inclusion. Gender-based violence has and , both in the short- and long-term. It is associated with injury, chronic disease and pain, anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.

Gender-based violence can also and .

However, these negative impacts can be greatly reduced when victims/survivors seek help and are met with support, compassion and resources. Because of this, receiving and in the future.

This underscores a need to educate the public about to disclosures of violence and to ensure that all professionals working with victims/survivors receive the necessary training to support them.

Gaps still remain

Gaps in awareness pose barriers to help-seeking, and . These gaps prevent victims/survivors from accessing the care they need and deserve.

One such gap is misinformation about gender-based violence. For instance, —false but widespread beliefs about sexual violence—can deter victims/survivors from seeking support.

They can also present barriers to support and justice when victims/survivors do disclose, if those hearing the disclosure accept false beliefs about sexual violence, victims and perpetrators.

A found that rape myths appeared in one-fifth of disclosures.

This finding provides a glimpse into the kinds of messages victims/survivors receive and the social environments they face if, and when, they choose to disclose or seek help—even when those environments are intended to be supportive, like a mental health app.

Lessons from the pandemic

Gaps in awareness also include a lack of knowledge about available community resources. This became clear during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and many victims/survivors experienced increased isolation.

As a result, victims/survivors' ability to access both informal support, like family and friends, and formal support, such as medical care and mental health services, was reduced.

Victims/survivors and how to safely access them. An important lesson from the pandemic is the need for stronger communication strategies to reach victims/survivors in times of crisis.

Responding to growing need

While there are still gaps, it is clear that a growing awareness about gender-based violence has led to more victims/survivors seeking out help. However, awareness alone is not enough to effectively address this form of violence.

The growing demand for services has put additional strain on already under-resourced community organizations like shelters, transition houses and sexual assault centers.

Chronic under-funding both as these organizations adapted their services to meet the growing needs of communities during the pandemic.

As a result, and organizations that deal with gender-based violence are . and organizations are seeing high rates of staff turnover.

Building on gains made in awareness about gender-based violence, governments and communities must increase the capacity of community organizations and offer them greater stability moving forward. Committing resources to violence prevention and services for victims/survivors is necessary to meet current and future needs.

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