An NDP bill to keep women safe is making its way through parliament.
According to the NDP, the bill would be used to protect people facing domestic abuse by putting coercive behavior into the criminal code.
Adding it means abuse patterns like threats, humiliation, isolating someone from support, and depriving them of independence would be criminalized.
NDP MP Laurel Collins says while intimate partner violence looks different for each person, the consequences are gut-wrenching.
“Criminalizing coercive control would be a step that would have a huge impact on women’s lives,” said Collins.
The bill comes as over 95 percent of victims have reported experiencing coercive behavior and control, which could lead to mental health concerns, serious distress, fear, and isolation.
The bill was pushed through by all parties, with it now being studied.
The NDP adds that if the study is done quickly, the bill could soon be voted into law.
