Progress has been made in recent decades towards 2SLGBTQI+ inclusion in Canada; however, discrimination, homophobia, biphobia and transphobia persist and they have very real direct and indirect impacts on 2SLGBTQI+ communities. That is why the Government of Canada is working to build a safer, more equitable and more inclusive Canada.
Today, during Gender Equality Week, the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, Marci Ien, highlighted more than $9 million in investments helping more than 270 youth, in particular gender diverse youth. The funding is being provided through the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) program.
Through YESS, the Government of Canada helps young people, particularly those facing barriers to employment, get the information and gain the skills, work experience and abilities they need to make a successful transition into the labour market. These investments include two projects taking place in Alberta and Ontario.
The Open Door project, based in Alberta received $1.3 million in funding for their project The Open Door Youth Employment and Skills Development Program. This project is helping 80 2SLGBTQI+ youth in securing sustainable, meaningful employment by developing their skills, and connecting them with supports that will impact their capacity to secure and maintain their employment from youth to adulthood.
Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak (LFMO) - Women of the Métis Nation, based in Ontario, received $8 million in funding for their Reach for the Sky initiative. This initiative offers opportunities to 198 youth to develop a distinctions-based, gender sensitive, youth-centric curriculum on leadership, job readiness and employment training.
These opportunities reflect the Government's ongoing actions to support all Canadians, as highlighted in Budget 2022, which is about growing the economy, creating good jobs, and building a Canada where nobody gets left behind.
