September 15, 2014 – Ottawa, Ontario– Status of Women Canada
Today, the Honourable Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women, released the Government of Canada’s Action Plan to Address Family Violence and Violent Crimes Against Aboriginal Women and Girls.
In Economic Action Plan 2014, the Government of Canada invested an additional $25 million over five years to address crimes against Aboriginal women and girls. The Action Plan to Address Family Violence and Violent Crimes Against Aboriginal Women and Girls is delivering on this commitment.
The Government of Canada has shown leadership in standing up for victims of crime. The Action Plan takes immediate and concrete action to prevent violence, support victims and protect Aboriginal women and girls through a number of new and ongoing commitments. These include developing more community safety plans on and off reserve and ensuring families are supported to access and navigate the justice system.
This new investment is part of a range of measures, totalling nearly $200 million, to address violence against Aboriginal women and girls, which include:
- supporting the creation of a DNA-based Missing Persons Index;
- continuing to support police investigations through the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains;
- providing safe haven for victims by funding shelters on reserve on an ongoing basis; and
- implementing initiatives to make communities safer, such as;
- introducing new legislation to create a Canadian Victims Bill of Rights that would establish, at the federal level, clear rights for victims of crime;
- improving the status and rights of Aboriginal women through the Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act;
- enhancing the safety and security of on-reserve residents, particularly women and children, through the Family Violence Prevention Program; and
- passing into law the Safe Streets and Communities Act, part of which eliminated the use of conditional sentences, or house arrest, for serious and violent crimes.
See the attached backgrounder for more detailed information on specific actions set out in the Action Plan.
Andrew McGrath
Press Secretary
Office of the Hon. Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, P.C., O.Ont., M.P.
Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women
Tel: 819-953-5646
andrew.mcgrath@labour-travail.gc.ca
Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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The Action Plan to Address Family Violence and Violent Crimes Against Aboriginal Women and Girls responds to the call—from families and communities—for action, and addresses the recommendations of the Special Committee on Violence Against Indigenous Women.
Preventing violence
The Government of Canada is taking action to prevent violence against Aboriginal women and girls. Specific actions set out in the Action Plan include:
- the development of more community safety plans off and on reserve across Canada, including in regions the RCMP’s analysis has identified as having a high incidence of violent crime perpetrated against women and girls;
- projects to break intergenerational cycles of violence and abuse by raising awareness and building healthy relationships; and
- projects to engage men and boys off and on reserve and empower Aboriginal women and girls to denounce and prevent violence.
Supporting victims
The Government of Canada is taking action to assist and support victims of violence. Specifically, the Action Plan supports:
- family/police liaison positions to ensure family members have access to timely information about cases;
- specialized assistance for victims and families; and
- positive relationships and the sharing of information between families and criminal justice professionals.
Protecting Aboriginal women and girls
The Government of Canada is taking action to protect Aboriginal women and girls. Specifically, the Action Plan includes initiatives such as:
Working with partners
The Government of Canada will continue to work closely with provinces and territories, police services and the justice system, as well as Aboriginal families, communities and organizations, to address violence against Aboriginal women and girls. This includes working with:
- Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Justice and Public Safety to coordinate actions across law enforcement and justice systems;
- Aboriginal organizations and communities, which will have a direct role to play through the community safety planning initiative, which allows communities to take ownership of issues and develop culturally appropriate, local solutions both on and off reserve; and
- communities and organizations, which will have access to funding for a variety of projects to address violence against Aboriginal women and girls, including those to raise awareness, promote healthy relationships and prevent violence on and off reserve.
