Government of Canada supports survivors of gender-based violence in Peterborough and Haliburton Français
Mar 05, 2019, 10:00 ET
PETERBOROUGH, ON, March 5, 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 Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality, Minister of International Development and Member of Parliament for Peterborough--Kawartha, announced federal funding to support survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in Peterborough, including people who have been underserved, such as Indigenous women and their communities, children and youth, ethno-cultural women, women who are newcomers, refugees or non-status, and women living with disabilities.
YWCA Peterborough Haliburton is receiving $1 million in funding for their project entitled "Homeward Bound in Peterborough" which will adapt the Homeward Bound model. This model has been successful in several provinces helping women with children in vulnerable situations earn college diplomas, achieve self-sufficiency, and improve their safety and economic security. It will provide them with housing that fits within their income, mentoring and supports, and child care assistance while they complete post-secondary education in high-demand fields.
Last year, Minister Monsef announced more than $50 million in funding for nearly 60 projects in communities across the country, including this one announced today, to support survivors of gender-based violence and their families.
Quotes
"Over 21,000 women and children in Peterborough County count on the services of the YWCA every year. With this investment, we are funding women's organizations like YWCA Peterborough Haliburton that provide essential 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 for Women and Gender Equality and Minister of International Development
Member of Parliament for Peterborough-Kawartha
"We support the right of all women and their families to live free from violence, poverty and oppression as they build their desired futures. We do this by providing a continuum of services that help women move from surviving to thriving. As a member of YWCA Canada, the oldest and largest women's social service organization in the country, we advocate for change locally and nationally. We are very grateful for this federal support which, along with our unique local partnership with Peterborough Housing Corporation, will allow us to bring the Homeward Bound program, a proven approach to moving women-led families to economic security, to the women and children of Peterborough."
Lynn Zimmer, Executive Director
YWCA Peterborough Haliburton
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).
- Gender-based violence can have lifelong impacts on an individual's physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health. Additionally, the effects can be serious and costly. Annually, the economic impact of intimate partner violence and sexual assault is estimated to be over $12 billion.
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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 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 supporting community organizations, which includes:
- a longer funding period of up to five years;
- a two-stage application process, which reduced the administrative burden for applicant organizations. Less information was required in the initial concept phase, which meant a leaner application process for organizations;
- 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.
Peterborough Project
Today's announcement profiled one project in Peterborough that is receiving $1 million in federal funding:
YWCA Peterborough Haliburton
Project title: Homeward Bound in Peterborough
The project will adapt the Homeward Bound model in order to improve the safety and economic security of women with children in vulnerable situations. It will provide them with housing that fits within their income, mentoring and supports, and child care assistance while they complete post-secondary education in high-demand fields. The project will also offer participants mentoring, support, and internship opportunities.
The Homeward Bound model has been successful in several provinces. It was piloted by WoodGreen in 2004 in the Toronto area and has since been replicated by the YMCA of Northern Alberta and the YWCA Prince Albert. It is a program that eliminates barriers one by one. The wraparound supports create a pathway to independence and family security. Through these accomplishments, the program has the long-term potential to break generational cycles of poverty. The YWCA Peterborough Haliburton will draw on lessons learned and program evaluations where applicable in the development and implementation of its project.
The YWCA Peterborough Haliburton was incorporated in 1897 as a not-for-profit Canadian organization. The YWCA Peterborough Haliburton supports the right of all women and their families to live free from violence, poverty and oppression as they build their desired futures. For over 120 years it has been a leader in helping abused women and children, providing safety, shelter/transitional housing, education, counselling and more.
Associated Links
- YWCA Peterborough Haliburton
- Department for Women and Gender Equality's Gender-Based Violence Program
- 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
For further information: Braeson Holland, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality, 343-549-8825; Valérie Haché, Communications Officer, Department for Women and Gender Equality, 819-420-8684
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