Government of Canada announces investment in women's organization in Bas-Saint-Laurent
MONT-JOLI, QC, Aug. 27, 2019 /CNW/ - Women's organizations provide vital services in our communities, supporting women and girls to be financially secure, free from violence, and able to fully participate in all aspects of our economy and society. Yet for far too long they have been chronically underfunded, underestimated and undermined. The Government of Canada recognizes that women's organizations are the foundation of the women's movement, and that maintaining and growing their ability to do this important work is the most effective way to advance gender equality.
That's why today, Rémi Massé, Member of Parliament for Avignon-La Mitis-Matane-Matapédia, on behalf of the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality, announced that the Government of Canada is investing $102,364 in the Centre femmes de la Mitis to develop a long-term plan to promote gender equality and advocate for systemic change in the region, improving the quality of life for women and families in Mont-Joli.
This organization is among more than 250 women's organizations and Indigenous organizations serving women across Canada receiving funding under the Government of Canada's Capacity-building Fund. This investment stems from the Budget 2018 announcement of $100 million over five years to support a viable and sustainable women's movement across the country.
Quotes
"With our historic investment, we recognize the women and women's organizations breaking through barriers and express our gratitude to those who have been doing this work for decades on little more than a shoestring budget. The women's movement across Canada has been asking for a reliable, predictable and accessible source of funds to ensure the sustainability of their work. With stable and flexible funding, we are helping the Centre femmes de la Mitis in Bas-Saint-Laurent grow and thrive, because we know that investing in women's organizations is the most effective way to advance gender equality. By supporting a movement that has achieved amazing results, we are growing the middle class, strengthening families and communities, and creating lasting change that benefits everyone."
The Honourable Maryam Monsef, P.C., M.P.
Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality
"The Government of Canada is making this important investment in Mont-Joli and Bas-Saint-Laurent to ensure the Centre des femmes de la Mitis can provide the services and resources they need to improve the lives of women and families in the communities they serve. Funding for organizations like le Centre des femme de la Mitis have not always been easy to secure. With the federal government's Capacity-building Fund, we can remove the anxiety that comes with economic insecurity and strengthen the women's movement to promote gender equality and build a fairer and more equal society for all."
Rémi Massé
Member of Parliament for Avignon-La Mitis-Matane-Matapédia
"We are very pleased to receive this investment from the federal government. Providing effective services to the women of Mont Joli requires a consistent and reliable network, in person and online. Today's funding will allow us to adapt those services according to the needs of the women we serve while providing the Centre femmes with consistent support for advocacy, education and in-house programs."
Isabelle Gallant, Socio-political Officer
Centre femmes de la Mitis
Quick Facts
- Budget 2018 announced $100 million over five years to support a viable and sustainable women's movement across Canada. Adding to this historic investment, Budget 2019 invests a further $160 million over five years, starting in 2019–20, in the Department for Women and Gender Equality's Women's Program. This means that by 2023–24, the Women's Program, which supports eligible organizations to carry out projects to advance equality by addressing systemic barriers, will total $100 million a year.
- This funding will enable women's organizations and Indigenous organizations serving women to tackle systemic barriers impeding women's progress, while recognizing and addressing the diverse experiences of gender and inequality across the country.
Related Product
Backgrounder
Women and Gender Equality Canada – Women's Program
One of the ways Women and Gender Equality Canada advances gender equality in Canada is by providing funding to eligible organizations through the Women's Program. Projects are selected via calls for proposals on specific themes, as well as through a continuous intake process that allows the Women's Program to address emerging issues as they arise.
The Women's Program funds projects that address systemic barriers to women's equality in three priority areas: ending violence against women and girls; improving the economic security and prosperity of women and girls; and encouraging women and girls in leadership roles.
Capacity-building Call for Proposals
In October 2018, Minister Monsef announced a Call for Proposals under the Capacity-building Fund of the Women's Program. Projects at the local, provincial, and national level were eligible for different amounts of funding, based on their specific internal needs and reach.
On March 8, 2019, International Women's Day, Minister Monsef announced that over 250 women's organizations across the country would receive funding from the Capacity-building Fund.
The objective is to fund proposals that will increase the capacity of eligible women's organizations and Indigenous organizations serving women, whose initiatives contribute to a viable women's movement in Canada that advances gender equality. Funding will increase the ability of organizations to grow, meet the increasing demands for their services, and continue to work collectively to address gender equality issues. The fund stems from the Budget 2018 announcement of $100 million over five years to help support a viable and sustainable women's movement across Canada.
Bas-Saint-Laurent Project
Today's announcement in Mont-Joli, Québec profiled one organization selected for federal funding through the Capacity-building Fund:
Centre femmes de la Mitis
Project title: Vers les 20 ans du Centre femmes de la Mitis
Funding amount: $102,384
The Centre femmes de la Mitis will develop a long-term strategic plan to promote gender equality and advocate for systemic change in the region. The organization will grow its human resources and capacity, improving their services and the quality of life for women and families in Mont-Joli and neighbouring communities.
Founded in 2001, Centre femmes de la Mitis is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to improving the lives and living conditions of women, while promoting their independence and social empowerment. The organization offers individual support services and educational activities to support collective actions that promote gender equality. Centre femmes de la Mitis is a member of L'R des centres de femmes du Québec, an umbrella organization of almost one hundred women's centres in every region of Québec.
Associated Links
Follow Women and Gender Equality Canada:
SOURCE Department for Women and Gender Equality
Braeson Holland, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality, 343-549-8825; Valérie Haché, Senior Communications Advisor, Women and Gender Equality Canada, 819-420-8684
Partager cet article