B.C. Could Save Over $1 Billion Annually by Preventing Gender-Based Violence
British Columbia faces a significant economic opportunity that could save the province more than $1 billion each year. According to a comprehensive report titled The Cost of Inaction: Measuring the Economic Impact of Gender-Based Violence in B.C., failing to prevent gender-based violence carries a staggering price tag of $1.12 billion annually.
The Economic Burden of Inaction
The report, commissioned by YWCA B.C. with funding from The Houssian Foundation and SPARC B.C., provides a conservative estimate of the financial consequences of not addressing gender-based violence. The largest contributor to this massive cost is physical and sexual assault, which accounts for nearly 90 percent of all expenses examined in the study.
Public service spending related to sexual and physical assault totals $307 million annually. This includes expenditures on law enforcement, public health care, and social services. Additionally, lost productivity resulting from these assaults is estimated at $702 million per year.
Alarming Statistics and Systemic Recognition
Statistics Canada data reveals that 48 percent of women in British Columbia over age 15 have experienced some form of intimate partner violence. Nearly 30 percent have specifically experienced physical and sexual assault. While the province has recently acknowledged gender-based violence as both an epidemic and systemic crisis, the report demonstrates that it also represents a substantial economic drain with far-reaching consequences.
Gender-based violence reduces labor productivity, destabilizes families, and increases spending across multiple sectors including health care, policing, justice, and housing. These economic consequences directly shape the fiscal pressures faced by governments, affect community stability, and impact the long-term well-being of survivors throughout the province.
Workplace Impacts and Prevention Economics
For employers, gender-based violence—including workplace sexual harassment—leads to increased absenteeism, reduced productivity, and early exits from employment. This is particularly significant given that more than half of women employees in British Columbia report experiencing harassment or sexual assault in their workplaces.
The report highlights a striking economic contrast between prevention and response. Community and social programs aimed at preventing gender-based violence average approximately $1,000 per person. In contrast, a single sexual assault investigation costs around $15,000—and this figure only covers police investigation expenses without accounting for additional costs to legal systems, health care, employers, or survivors themselves.
Despite the clear economic advantage of prevention programs, no new funding was allocated to address gender-based violence in British Columbia's 2026 budget. This oversight occurs amid challenging economic times, with the province projecting a record-setting deficit, international tariffs creating uncertainty, and the cost of living continuing to rise.
The economic implications of gender-based violence extend far beyond individual survivors, affecting government budgets, workplace productivity, and community stability throughout British Columbia. As the province grapples with fiscal challenges, the report presents a compelling economic argument for investing in prevention rather than bearing the substantial costs of inaction.
