OTTAWA — A parliamentary report recommends the government develop a comprehensive strategy to address financial and economic abuse as a way to prevent intimate partner violence.

The recent report by the standing committee on the status of women on addressing intimate partner and family violence makes 28 recommendations to the federal government.

The report says women tend to face disproportionate levels of economic insecurity compared to men, and financial barriers are one of the main factors preventing women from escaping situations of intimate partner and family violence.

The report’s recommendations to the government include reviewing current legislation and policies so they better recognize economic abuse as a form of family violence, including under the federal Divorce Act, the Civil Marriage Act and the Criminal Code.

The report also recommends that government encourage trauma-informed policies that better protect survivors in key sectors, like banks and utilities companies, in partnership with provinces and territories.

The office of Marci Ien, minister of women and gender equality, was not immediately available for comment.