Minister Valdez announces funding to support victims and survivors of gender-based violence in rural, remote and underserved communities

GREATER SUDBURY, ON, Oct. 1, 2026 /CNW/ -- Everyone in Canada deserves access to timely, responsive and equitable supports and services when experiencing gender-based violence, regardless of where they live.

Today, the Honourable Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), alongside Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury, announced an additional investment of up to $472,100 for She Matters United to strengthen its project, Bridging the Gap: Exploring Forensic Evidence Self-Collection for Survivors of Sexualized Violence in Rural Communities.

The project explores forensic DNA self-collection as an innovative approach to improving access to evidence collection following sexual assault in rural, remote and underserved communities across Canada. Through engagement with victims and survivors, healthcare providers, legal professionals, law enforcement, Indigenous partners and community organizations, the initiative will help identify barriers and inform recommendations to improve the experience of those seeking support.

Building on a previous federal investment of $450,000, this supplemental funding will enable expanded in-person community engagement activities across Ontario, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Manitoba. It will also allow project research findings to be incorporated into tools, policy frameworks, and accountability mechanisms, as well as implement supports for victims and survivors, service providers, and communities across Canada.

On this first day of Women's History Month, this project highlights both the progress made and the work that remains to end gender-based violence and advance gender equality. By developing innovative approaches informed by the experiences of victims and survivors, the federal government helps ensure that those experiencing gender-based violence are treated with dignity, compassion and respect.

Quotes

"No one should have to face gender-based violence alone. By supporting new approaches shaped by the experiences of victims and survivors, community organizations, service providers and partners, we are helping build a safer Canada where everyone can feel heard, supported, and able to access the services they need, no matter where they live."
The Honourable Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)

"Ensuring survivors have access to the care and support they need is so important. She Matters is doing the work, making support services accessible in rural, remote and underserved communities. This funding is important to survivors and communities everywhere."
Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury

"Too many survivors cannot access care after sexual violence. Support may be hours or a flight away, and racism, discrimination, stigma and past harms can make hospitals feel unsafe. Together, these barriers delay or prevent care and the preservation of time-sensitive evidence. For children and youth, they are amplified further. We are deeply honoured to continue advancing research and exploring viable solutions: enhanced care pathways that strengthen access to care, evidence preservation and justice for survivors of all backgrounds, no matter where they live or whether the nearest hospital feels safe to them."
Victoria Donkin, Health Equity Researcher and Project Lead for Bridging the Gaps at She Matters

Quick facts

• In 2025, 37.2% of women reported having been sexually assaulted at least once since age 15, a rate more than three times higher than that for men (11%).
• Since the Gender-based Violence Program started in 2018, WAGE-funded projects have reached over 90,000 people, created more than 2,200 resources, and built or strengthened over 1,400 partnerships and collaborations.
• WAGE continues to strengthen federal action on gender-based violence with $223.4 million over five years, starting in 2026-27, including $44.7 million in ongoing funding, to advance the vision of a Canada free from gender-based violence. This funding will help community organizations across the country to provide support to at-risk or underserved populations.
• The She Matters United project aligns with Call for Justice 5.5 of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which calls for equitable access to policing services in northern and remote Indigenous communities.

Associated links

• Gender-Based Violence Program
• National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence
• National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
• She Matters United
• Women's History Month

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SOURCE Women and Gender Equality Canada

Contacts: Erin Quevillon, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), 819-661-2374, [email protected]; Media Relations, Women and Gender Equality Canada, 819-420-6530, [email protected]