Backgrounder: Saint John - New funding will help support a vibrant gender equality movement across Canada

Antigonish Women's Resource Centre & Sexual Assault Services Association — $395,000

The Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre & Sexual Assault Services Association provides services to individual women and adolescent girls in Antigonish and Guysborough counties, Nova Scotia. Services include crisis and ongoing problem-solving support, information, advocacy, accompaniment and referrals.

This three-year project will work to prevent sexual violence against women and girls in the rural County of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The organization will work with the Paqtnkek Mi’kmaw Nation, St. Francis Xavier University, and the Strait Regional School Board to establish policies and practices to better recognize and address sexual violence. Community stakeholders will be engaged and will develop and implement action plans to sexual violence against women and girls.

Fredericton Sexual Assault Centre — $283,000

For more than 40 years, the Fredericton Sexual Assault Centre has provided information, support, and counselling to those affected by sexual violence in New Brunswick.

This three-year project will improve women’s access to the justice system when reporting sexual violence to police in Fredericton. The organization will work with stakeholders to identify barriers faced by sexual assault survivors in the criminal justice system and develop a strategy to address them.

Saint John Women’s Empowerment Network — $313,000

Since 1994, the Saint John Women's Empowerment Network (originally “The Urban Core Support Network”) has worked to empower women to live sustainable lives and contribute as full partners in society.  

Through this three-year project, the organization will enhance access to childcare for low-income women in Saint John, New Brunswick. They will work with partners to develop and implement strategies that address barriers to women’s participation in the labour force. This will include examining issues like daycare subsidies, the accessibility of childcare for special needs children and the availability of child care for women who work outside of normal business hours.

Women’s Network PEI — $352,000

The Women's Network PEI is a not-for-profit organization that works to strengthen and support the efforts of women in Prince Edward Island (PEI) to improve the status of women in society.

This three-year project will improve women’s access to childcare in PEI. The organization will work with partners in the community to understand the local context and identify barriers to childcare on the island. It will then develop and share an action plan for family-friendly work policies.

Call for proposals: Funding to Advance Gender Equality in Canada – Over $18 million

In October 2016, Status of Women Canada invited organizations to propose projects that advance gender equality across Canada. As of June 2017, some 50 projects have been approved for over $18 million in Funding to Advance Gender Equality.

Over the course of 36-months, the projects will address systemic barriers in Status of Women Canada’s three areas of focus: increasing women’s economic security and prosperity; encouraging women and girls to be better represented in leadership and decision-making roles; and ending violence against women and girls.

The Canadian Women’s Foundation will convene a strong, independent, pan-Canadian network of women leaders to support feminist action for gender equality at the national level. These leaders have been chosen for their remarkable efforts at the local level to advance gender equality with women, girls and gender non-conforming people. By creating a network of visionary women, we will broaden the reach of their efforts beyond their communities – inspiring others from across the country to add their voices and contribute their ideas towards achieving real progress.

It's Time: Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence

It’s Time: Canada’s Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence is the Government of Canada’s response to gender-based violence (GBV). It builds on current federal initiatives, coordinates existing programs and lays the foundation for greater action on GBV.

The Strategy is based on three pillars:

• Prevention;
• Support for survivors and their families; and
• Promotion of responsive legal and justice systems