Abbotsford, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 21, 2026) - Dr. Amanda McCormick has dedicated her career to improving how Canada's justice system responds to women who have experienced intimate partner violence.
Dr. Amanda McCormick
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Her research and leadership have now been recognized with a Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case, a national honour celebrating individuals who have made outstanding contributions to advancing equality for women and girls in Canada.
The awards commemorate the landmark Persons Case decision of Oct. 18, 1929, when Canada's highest court of appeal ruled that women were eligible for appointment to the Senate, opening new doors for women's participation in public life.
McCormick was one of six 2026 recipients honoured at a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Oct. 19. Rechie Valdez, Canada's minister of women and gender equality, delivered remarks recognizing their contributions.
"The Persons Case expanded what was possible for women in Canada and opened doors for generations to come," Valdez said. "Today, we celebrate remarkable Canadians who are continuing that work and making a real difference in the lives of women and girls. Each of them shows what is possible when people use their voices, experience and leadership to shape a more equal future."
McCormick is an associate professor in UFV's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and a research associate in UFV's Centre for Public Safety and Criminal Justice Research.
Since 2019, she has partnered with the RCMP to research police responses to non-fatal strangulation, identifying gaps in investigative practices and opportunities to improve the justice system's response to intimate partner violence.
She also helped revise the British Columbia Summary of Intimate Partner Violence Risk Factors, a resource that helps frontline workers, police and health-care professionals assess the risk of serious harm or homicide in intimate partner violence cases.
McCormick's commitment to preventing violence against women extends beyond her research.
She is a longstanding member of the Abbotsford/Mission Violence Against Women in Relationships Committee and the Purple Lights Nights committee, which works to raise awareness of intimate partner violence and prevent future incidents.
"The prevalence of intimate partner violence in Canadian society is quite shocking," McCormick says. "Nearly half of all women and girls in Canada, and over a third of men and boys, have experienced some form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime. As a society, we need to come together to raise awareness and engage in prevention efforts to reduce these trends. Throughout October, our Purple Lights Nights committee strives to shine a light on the issue of intimate partner violence and spread awareness about the resources and services available to support those experiencing violence."
McCormick also leads the Community of Practice on Domestic Violence Reduction through UFV's Peace and Reconciliation Centre, bringing professionals together to share knowledge, strengthen collaboration, and improve responses to and prevention of domestic violence.
She established the National Strangulation Community of Practice and organized its inaugural symposium at UFV in 2026, bringing together experts to advance knowledge, training, and policies related to preventing and responding to strangulation.
Throughout her career, McCormick has been a lead or co-investigator on more than 30 research projects. She has authored or co-authored more than 10 peer-reviewed publications and 50 research reports, and presented her work at academic conferences, symposiums and United Nations meetings.
For McCormick, the Governor General's award is meaningful recognition of the difference her work is making.
"A prior instance of non-fatal strangulation is one of the strongest predictors that a woman will be killed by her abusive male partner, but unfortunately, strangulation often goes undetected as about half of all survivors have no obvious visible injuries, and training for first responders to recognize and respond to these cases has historically been quite limited," McCormick says. "The work that I've been conducting with police, including the E Division RCMP, Abbotsford Police Department, and Saanich Police Department, aims to improve police officer knowledge about and skills in identifying and investigating strangulation cases, contributing to improved safety for survivors of intimate partner violence.
"I'm grateful for the recognition of this work and the impact it's having on public safety."
Since the awards were established in 1979, more than 250 Canadians have received a Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case.
Learn more about the 2026 award recipients.
For media inquiries:
Stacy Kirpichova, MA
Director, UFV Communications
stacy.kirpichova@ufv.ca
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