OTTAWA, March 15, 2019 /CNW/ - Ending gender-based violence is crucial if we are serious about giving everyone the same opportunities to join and grow Canada's middle class. We all benefit when women, girls and people of all genders are safe and free to live their lives to the fullest.
Today, the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Edmonton Mill Woods, on behalf of the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality, announced the selection of an organization in Edmonton that will receive federal funding to support survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). The funding from the Gender-Based Violence Program is to support people who have been underserved, such as Indigenous women and their communities, children and youth, ethno-cultural women, LGBTQ2 communities and gender non-binary people, women who are newcomers, refugees or non-status, seniors, women living in official language minority communities, women living with disabilities, and women in northern, rural, and remote communities.
Based in Edmonton, the Indo-Canadian Women's Association is receiving $450,000 to create and pilot an approach for home visitors, such as nurses and Children's Services, to screen for violence when providing services to Indigenous women, newcomers, refugees or non-status women, and ethno-cultural women. This approach will be trauma-informed and culturally sensitive to enable women to safely report violence and receive much-needed support services.
Last year, Minister Monsef announced more than $50 million in funding for nearly 60 projects in communities across the country, including the one announced today, to support survivors of gender-based violence.
Quotes
"With this investment, we are funding women's organizations like the Indo-Canadian Women's Association that provide vital services to support survivors and their families. This funding envelope was developed in partnership with leaders from the women's sector, whose advice continues to inform Canada's first Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence. Leaders asked for more dollars over a longer period of time to meet the ever growing demand for their services, a simplified application process, and resources to help provide supports for the most underserved and marginalized survivors of gender-based violence. Our government listened. Gender-based violence must not be tolerated, and we will continue to work with survivors, community partners, the private sector and other orders of government to end GBV in all of its forms."
The Honourable Maryam Monsef, P.C., M.P.
Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality
"We are committed to providing a trusted hand for those in need. Our government is helping vulnerable members in our community by providing Gender-Based Violence survivors and their children supports that are both culturally sensitive and trauma-informed."
The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Natural Resources
Member of Parliament for Edmonton Mill Woods
"Immigrant women face factors that make them increasingly vulnerable to violence and discrimination. With this federal support, we will be able to address those unique challenges by developing solutions that are culturally sensitive and tailored to new Canadian women in our community."
Dr. Amrita Mishra, Project Director
Indo-Canadian Women's Association
Quick Facts
- In June 2017, the Department for Women and Gender Equality (formerly Status of Women Canada) announced the first-ever federal Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence.
- To date, the Government of Canada has invested over $200 million across government to prevent gender-based violence, support survivors and their families, and create more responsive legal and justice systems.
- The Promising practices to support survivors and their families call for concepts is the largest amount of funding ever announced for programming to specifically support diverse groups of gender-based violence survivors and their families.
- Some populations are more likely to experience violence and may face unique barriers and challenges that put them at particular risk (Statistics Canada, 2015).
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Backgrounder
Department for Women and Gender Equality's Gender-Based Violence Program
Following the June 2017 announcement of It's Time: Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence, the Department for Women and Gender Equality (formerly Status of Women Canada) launched the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Program in January 2018.
The GBV Program complements the department's Women's Program, and helps organizations working in the GBV sector to develop and implement promising practices to address gaps in supports for survivors and their families.
While violence affects people of all genders, ages, cultures, ethnicities, geographic locations, and socio-economic backgrounds, some populations are more at-risk and face additional barriers to accessing services. The GBV Program responds to this need by providing funding to eligible organizations at the local, regional and national levels for projects that address gaps in supports for specific groups of survivors, including Indigenous women and their communities, and other underserved populations, such as children and youth, LGBTQ2 communities and gender non-binary people, non-status/refugee/immigrant women, seniors, women living in official language minority communities, women living in northern, rural and remote communities, and women living with disabilities.
Call for concepts: Promising Practices to Support Survivors and their Families
In January 2018, Minister Monsef announced $20 million in funding for a call for concepts as part of the new Gender-Based Violence Program. Following Budget 2018, the funding for the Gender-Based Violence Program more than doubled to $50 million so that more organizations, such as sexual assault crisis centers, are better able to help population groups at the highest risk of experiencing violence.
The GBV Program piloted an innovative approach to make it easier for community organizations to access funding, which includes:
- a longer funding period of up to five years;
- a two-stage application process, which reduced the administrative burden of applicant organizations. Less information was required in the initial concept phase, which meant a simpler application process;
- eligible recipients were expanded to include labour groups and unions; provinces, territories, municipalities and their agencies; research organizations and institutes, centers of expertise, educational institutions (i.e. universities, colleges, CÉGEPs, secondary schools, school boards/school districts), as well as public health institutions, hospitals, and health care service providers; and
- testing and evaluation of promising practices is emphasized, which will lead to clear impact and results for Canadians.
Indo-Canadian Women's Association
Project title: Culturally Appropriate and Safe Assistance through Home Visitation for Survivors of Violence (CASA)
The project will receive $450,000 to create and pilot a home visitation protocol to create and pilot an approach for home visitors, such as nurses and Children's Services, to screen for violence when providing services to Indigenous women, newcomers, refugees or non-status women, and ethno-cultural women. This approach will be trauma-informed and culturally-sensitive to enable women to safely report violence and receive much-needed support services.
The Indo-Canadian Women's Association is a not-for-profit Canadian organization committed to the full participation of immigrant and visible minority women and men in economic, social and political life of Canada. It was established in 1984 in Edmonton. Its main activities include settlement and integration counselling services, support groups, and community engagement.
Associated Links
- Department for Women and Gender Equality's Gender-Based Violence Program
- Indo-Canadian Women's Association
- It's Time: Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence
Follow the Department for Women and Gender Equality:
SOURCE Department for Women and Gender Equality
Braeson Holland, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality, 343-549-8825; Joshua Kirkey, Manager, Corporate and Internal Communications, Department for Women and Gender Equality, 819-420-6884
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