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Between 1909 and 1960, Canada's Criminal Code outlined a section identifying wife battering as a 'special offence'.This meant that a woman who was beaten by her husband had to prove that a greater degree of bodily harm was committed than that was required in other cases of assault.
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In 1964, Canada's Criminal Code is amended so women who are beaten by their husbands no longer need to prove a greater degree of bolidy harm.
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Canada implements the first transition and first sexual assault centres for women who are escaping domestic violence.
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Wife Battering: A report on Violence in the Family is submitted to the Canadian parliament by the standing committee on health, welfare and social affairs. The report states that 1 in 10 canadian women experience some form of battering by a husband or boyfriend. These statistics shock Canadians
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A directive is introduced instructing the RCMP to lay charges in cases of spousal assault where probable grounds exist.
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The first wife assault policy is in place, which directs police to lay charges where there is evidence that a spouse has been assaulted.
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Canadian Government provided funding to police agencies to set up a Police-based Victim Assistance Program.
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Federal legislation allows a victim impact statement to be presented at the time of sentencing.
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Several Wife Assault Coordination Committees are funded across 7 different communities.
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The 'Is Anyone Listening?' report is released. The report leads to funding for sexual assault/woman assault programs, ie: Stopping the Violence Counseling.
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The Wife Assault Policy is revised and updated as Violence Against Women in Relationships or VAWIR Policy.
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The 'K' Files Flagging System is introduced in order for VAWIR cases to be tracked by the police.
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In 1999, The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was designated and put into action.
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Women and girls victimized by partners made up 77% of all women who are victimized in 2000.
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In 2001, a report outlined that 29% of all homicide victims were women, and 52% of these women were murdered by someone to whom they had been married or whom they dated.
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In 2004, women made up 84% of all victims of spousal homicide. Amongst the spousal homicide‐suicide rates between 1961 and 2004, women were the victims in 97% of these cases.
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A Domestic Violence Action Plan progress report was issued in Ontario. This report touched upon several topics, including early intervention to prevent violence.
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Police are instructed that they must follow policies and procedures that are consistent with the guidelines of the VAWIR Policy.
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The progress report was updated in 2012, with new additions such as access and equity. They also included a section about recognizing the unique needs of Aboriginal women.
