Crisis hotlines are a lifeline to survivors of gender-based violence and are critical support services. During the pandemic, organizations operating crisis lines in Quebec reported an increase in the volume of calls, as victims of violence and those seeking related services experienced barriers to safely accessing services.
Today, Rachel Bendayan, Parliamentary Secretary, and Member of Parliament for Outremont on behalf of the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, announced $5.5 million to support crisis hotlines across Quebec.
This funding will help Quebec crisis hotlines serve the urgent needs of Canadians. The crisis hotlines will offer more robust services, resources, and support to prevent the escalation of gender-based violence.
This announcement marks the fifth bilateral agreement signed with provincial and territorial governments. Since August, the Government of Canada has announced agreements Manitoba, Yukon, Nova Scotia and British Columbia. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will continue to work with other provinces and territories to finalize similar bilateral agreements.
This announcement builds on the historic endorsement of the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers responsible for the Status of Women in early November.
Since April 2020, we've invested over $250 million of emergency COVID-19 funding in 1,400 women's shelters, sexual assault centers, and other organizations, including 138 organizations that serve Indigenous individuals.
