April 16, 2019 - Orangeville, Ontario - Department for Women and Gender Equality
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 Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport and Member of Parliament for Etobicoke North, on behalf of the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality, announced the selection of an organization which will receive federal funding to support survivors of gender-based violence, including people who have been underserved, particularly women who live in rural and remote communities.
Family Transition Place will receive close to $800,000 over five years for their project entitled "Rural Response Program." The project seeks to implement promising practices to support survivors and their families. The organization will work at reducing barriers to access to services for women in rural and remote communities through mobile service delivery and increased partnerships between service providers.
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 and their families.
"With this investment, we are funding organizations like Family Transition Place which 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 of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality
"There is no place for gender-based violence in our homes, in our communities or anywhere in Canada. Family Transition Place does great work to ensure women and children can live free from abuse and threat so they can live their lives freely and fulfill their potential, and the Rural Response Program will build on that."
The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Sport and Science
Member of Parliament for Etobicoke North
"Family Transition Place has provided a range of services to support women and their children who have experienced abuse and unhealthy relationships for 35 years. The Government of Canada's investment to our new project will help us implement promising practices to support an even greater number of survivors and their families in rural and remote communities, helping create a healthy community, one relationship at a time."
Norah Kennedy, Executive Director
Family Transition Place
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.
-
In June 2019, Canada will host the Women Deliver conference, the world's largest conference on gender equality and the health, rights and wellbeing of girls and women.
