The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls highlighted the underlying systemic causes of ongoing violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. The COVID-19 pandemic also created unprecedented challenges for victims and survivors seeking help and the frontline organizations that support them.
Today, Michael McLeod, Member of Parliament for the Northwest Territories, on behalf of the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, announced over $1 million for the Artic Indigenous Wellness Foundation and the Northern Mosaic Network.
The funding will be distributed as follows:
$557,880 for the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation for their project Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation Administrative and Governance Policies.
This funding will increase the Foundation's ability to prevent and address gender-based violence (GBV) against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people, with a focus on individuals impacted by GBV in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon
$443,260 for the Northern Mosaic Network for their project NWT Youth Take Charge: Uniting the Voices of 2SLGTBQIPA+ Northerners and Indigenous People.
This funding will enable the Northern Mosaic Network (NMN) to develop community-informed initiatives to overcome key issues facing 2SLGBTQI+ communities, such as intersectional barriers to equality.
This announcement builds on the endorsement of the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers responsible for the Status of Women in November 2022. The National Action Plan includes five pillars: Support for victims, survivors and their families; Prevention; Responsive justice system; Implementing Indigenous-led approaches; and Social infrastructure and enabling environment.
