Family members or friends were aware of the violence in these relationships in seventy three percent of cases. Separation or divorce proceedings were under way in half of these cases. Male violence in the home is not a private problem. It's a public danger, and guns are a part of that danger. And because women's experience of violence is different from men's, we have a different perspective on gun control.
Women are at greatest risk in their homes and at the hands of men they know.
Guns play a frequent and fatal role in male violence against women. Studies in several Canadian provinces demonstrate that most accidental shootings take place in the home and involve children. So far, I've presented a statistical and anecdotal snapshot of male violence against women in Canada and the role of guns in that violence. Certainly the magnitude of numbers, and some of the details, may differ when comparing Canada and the United States, but there is a great deal that both countries share. And I have a picture that illustrates the commonality between our countries.