A local organization is calling on the community and local politicians to take action against femicide.
This week, the Windsor Police Service laid first-degree murder charges after Sahra Bulle was allegedly killed by her estranged husband.
This is the fourth femicide reported in Windsor Essex in the past two years. In 2023, there have been 14 femicides in Ontario.
"We are not helpless in this, we are not hopeless in preventing femicides and preventing violence against women and all of us, government, the general public, service providers have a piece in trying to address this horrible tragedy that happened in our community and communities right across the country," said Shelley Gilbert, co-chair of the Violence Against Women Coordinating Committee Windsor-Essex (VAWCCWE).
She said individuals can support their loved ones and advocate for change.
"Be a friend, listen and then educate yourself so that you can speak to your loved one about where they can go to be safe," said Gilbert.
Local organizations like the Hiatus House, the Welcome Centre Shelter for Women and Children, and Nisa Homes Windsor are all organizations that support individuals leaving unsafe situations.
Gilbert indicated one of the biggest barriers to escaping intimate partner violence is the lack of safe, affordable housing.
"Women are having to make decisions about whether they are going to find perhaps unaffordable housing for a period of time or not safe housing or in some circumstances feel forced to return to their abuser," said Gilbert.
She is calling on people to contact their government officials to advocate for more transitional housing and affordable housing options for individuals escaping violence.
