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 of gender-based violence seeking help and the frontline organizations that support them.
Today, Michael V. 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 $1.15 million for two community organizations in Northwest Territories and Nunavut:
- The Northwest Territories/Nunavut Council of Friendship Centres is receiving $615,000 for their Gender-Based Violence Awareness and Training Workshops project.
- Nunavut Inuit Women's Association is receiving over $544,000 for their Supporting Inuit women in leadership roles project.
Increasing the capacity of Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations will enable them to address the root causes of gender-based violence and ensure that Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, and their communities, can prosper now and in the future.
This announcement builds on the bilateral agreements between the Government of Canada and the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, announced in September and October 2023, respectively, to support the implementation of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. This funding is also aligned with Pillar 4 of the National Action Plan, which is focused on implementing Indigenous-led approaches.
In November 2022, the Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Forum of Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women launched the 10-year National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. The Plan is a strategic framework for addressing gender-based violence. It includes five pillars: support for victims, survivors, and their families; prevention; a responsive justice system; implementing Indigenous-led approaches; and social infrastructure and enabling environment.
