Finally, as a result of concerted lobbying and advocacy by women's groups, the federal law was reformed in 1983, making it possible for women to charge their husbands with sexual assault. Yet there are those who would argue, despite evidence to the contrary, that violence in relationships is a consensual act. They are usually evenly matched in size and strength, and there are no overt signs of inequality between them. But even there, the violence occurs in a controlled setting, visible to the public eye and governed by rules. It is a far cry from violence that occurs in the home, in a relationship grounded in inequality and shielded from public scrutiny.
Statistics paint a grim picture of domestic violence.
There is no consent in relationships in which women are systematically demeaned, humiliated, ridiculed, beaten, and ultimately killed. In Canada, two women are killed per week as a result of domestic violence. British Columbia suffers the highest rate of violence against women in the country, at 59 per cent. Violence escalates when women challenge this authority. Nor is such violence confined to the home.