High inflation, labour shortages, rising grocery bills and a nationwide housing crisis are placing a burden on most Canadian families, but for women fleeing intimate partner violence, these additional barriers can be a death sentence. One-third of Canadian women will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime, and the lack of access to safe and affordable housing can prevent women from leaving a violent relationship.The current economic climate has made a terrible situation worse. Roughly every six days a woman is killed in Canada by a current or previous partner. Nonetheless, historically, women experiencing domestic abuse have been fed one common narrative: to reach safety, they should be the ones to flee the home and start anew. But the need to leave is costly and can lead to profound disruptions to the lives of women and their children.As we #EmbraceEquity for this year's International Women's Day, we need to change our expectations about women leaving home in order to be safe. That's where Safe at Home programs come in. Already successfully implemented across many regions worldwide, including in Australia and the UK, Safe at Home enables survivors to remain in their own home with the perpetrator removed or move directly to independent housing.International jurisdictions aren't the only ones to implement the concept.In 2021, Rowan House Society's Safe At Home program was launched in Alberta. The program removes the abusive partner from the home to address the abuser's behaviour, while women and children stay in the family home.  Safe at Home programs are based on a collaborative intervention model, typically involving some combination of five main elements: legal provision and court orders, risk assessment, home security measures and safety devices, and wrap around support from multiple community agencies.This vital option needs to be reflected and reinforced both in policy and practice. Women need access to portable housing benefits and emergency social assistance that can be used to support them in maintaining their housing, while they work to rebuild their financial stability.Based on research conducted by WomanACT, 80% of survivors had to access housing options that involved relocation from their home. Of this total, 75% had to access an emergency shelter or stayed with friends and family, while 76% of these survivors said a Safe at Home program would have been their preferred housing option.Women fleeing domestic violence are already faced with a host of emotional and economic challenges, including keeping themselves and their children safe, balancing work and/or school schedules and transitioning from a dual-income household to being the sole provider. The Safe at Home approach is the only option that counts women's economic security as a positive outcome, and this is increasingly relevant in the current climate. In the regions where it has been implemented, Safe at Home has also led to improved safety and well-being of survivors, reduced repeat incidents, and several other beneficial outcomes.The approach presents a necessary solution to a complex housing crisis. Women fleeing domestic violence need a range of housing options beyond emergency shelters, and these options must be affordable, secure and permanent.Urgency is required for these women to have a fighting chance – not just at survival, but to thrive in a safe environment without having to worry about finding a place to call home for themselves and their families.To make this a reality, strong collaboration and coordination are required between the anti-violence against women agencies, the criminal justice system, housing and security providers, and other government and community organizations. The benefits, challenges, and lessons learned in other jurisdictions can be applied to implement Safe at Home appropriately in the Canadian context. As a first step, we need to fundamentally change our thinking, and continue to ask ourselves: why should women be the ones to leave?The Woman Abuse Council of Toronto (WomanACT) is a charitable organization working to end violence against women through systemic change. We are ready to work with the government and other key stakeholders in developing the most promising path forward toward a Safe at Home model that is fully upheld by a supportive legislative and policy context – and one that truly #embracesequity for women.Harmy Mendoza, Executive Director, Women Abuse Council of Toronto (WomanACT).