All people living in Canada should be safe and free from physical, emotional and sexual violence, discrimination, and harassment, regardless of where they live. As the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified systemic and longstanding inequalities, there is an increased need and urgency to fund initiatives aimed at supporting survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence (IPV) across the country.
Today, on behalf of the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, the Honourable Mona Fortier, President of the Treasury Board and Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Vanier, accompanied by Gary Anandasangaree, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Rouge Park, announced that the Government of Canada is providing support for a project that offers legal support to Francophone victims and survivors of sexual assault and IPV in Ontario.
The Government of Canada is providing support to Action ontarienne contre la violence faite aux femmes for a project that aims to establish expanded legal services for Francophone survivors of IPV and gender-based violence living in Ontario. More specifically, it will allow the organization to extend its offer of legal advice to women who are facing domestic violence, and to increase its ability to provide legal information and that advice to survivors of sexual assault, free of charge. More than $1 million is being provided over five years for this project through Justice Canada's Victims Fund and Justice Partnership and Innovation Program.
These investments are part of a Budget 2021 total investment of $48.75 million over five years, through Justice Canada's Victims Fund and Justice Partnership and Innovation Program, for projects that help survivors of sexual assault and IPV in making informed decisions about their particular circumstances. These investments build on Budgets 2017 and 2018, with total funding across the Government of Canada of over $600 million over five years and complement efforts underway as part of the Government of Canada's Gender-Based Violence Strategy.
