Supporting women's organizations to advance gender equality in Montreal's South Shore

LONGUEUIL, QC, Aug. 15, 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, Sherry Romanado, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors and Member of Parliament for Longueuil–Charles-LeMoyne, 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 $645,203 in two women's organizations in Montreal's South Shore. They are;

• Réseau des Tables régionales de groupes de femmes du Québec will receive $440,099 to grow its network so that expertise can be brought together and shared at a provincial meeting that will make for stronger partnerships, collaborations, and networking among regional partners, its members and other women's groups; and,
• Table de concertation des groupes de femmes de la Montérégie will receive $205,104 to develop an action plan to counter misogyny and the violence it generates in the Montérégie region by creating tools and training activities to enable stakeholders to prevent, advocate and address violence against women by challenging the rise and rhetoric of misogyny with more effective and modern methods.

These organizations are among the 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 women's organizations in Montréal's South Shore 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

"I am proud that the Government of Canada is making strategic investments in the future safety, security and prosperity of women and their families. It is crucial that women's organizations in Québec have the resources they need to maintain the services and that help women overcome the inequalities they face and empower them to claim the political, social and economic equality they deserve. With today's funding announcement, I think the women and families of the South Shore have every reason to feel confident about what their future holds."

Sherry Romanado
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors
Member of Parliament for Longueuil-Charles-LeMoyne

"We are thankful for this financial support from the Government of Canada. Our network is expanding and it is critical for us to maintain our services and coordinate our efforts across Québec for maximum effect. The women and families we serve will benefit from our ability to work across the region and provide them with consistent, reliable support and advocacy."

Mireille Chartrand, Vice-Présidente
Réseau des Tables régionales de groupes de femmes du Québec

"The federal government's support for our work will help us make a difference in our society. Social change takes time, but we believe that with our passion for and commitment to the women and families of Montérégie, we will succeed in making a more equal world where everyone benefits."

Linda Crevier, Executive Director
Table de concertation des groupes de femmes de la Montérégie

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.

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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.

Montreal's South Shore Projects

Today's announcement in Longueuil, Québec profiled two organizations selected for federal funding through the Capacity-building Fund:

Réseau des Tables régionales de groupes de femmes du Québec

Project title: A Strong Network of Tables: Strengthening our Network to Act Better
Funding amount: $440,099

Réseau des Tables régionales de groupes de femmes du Québec will grow its network so that expertise can be brought together and shared at a provincial meeting that will make for stronger partnerships, collaborations, and networking among regional partners, its members and other women's groups.

The Réseau des Tables régionales de groupes de femmes du Québec brings together 17 regional organizations that reach more than 400 women's groups in Québec every year. 

Table de concertation des groupes de femmes de la Montérégie (TCGFM)

Project title: Co-constructing a Feminist Advocacy Strategy to Eliminate the Symmetrization of Violence
Funding amount: $205,104

TCGFM will develop an action plan to counter misogyny and the violence it generates in the Montérégie region by creating tools and training activities to enable stakeholders to prevent, advocate and address violence against women by challenging the rise and rhetoric of misogyny with more effective and modern methods.

Established in 1980, the Table de concertation des groupes de femmes de la Montérégie was officially registered in 1988. The feminist principles of the member groups, and the sharing of expertise and vision, are directed at making gender equality a core consideration for the decision and policy makers in the local and regional institutions.

 Associated Links

• Réseau des Tables régionales de groupes de femmes du Québec
• Table de concertation des groupes de femmes de la Montérégie
• Capacity-building Fund
• Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA+)

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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, Senior Communications Advisor, Women and Gender Equality Canada, 819-420-8684

Related Links

http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/