MP Michael McLeod announces over $1 million in funding for the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation and the Northern Mosaic Network

From: Women and Gender Equality Canada

News release

March 16, 2023 – Yellowknife, Northwest Territories — Women and Gender Equality Canada

The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls highlighted the underlying systemic causes of ongoing violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. The COVID-19 pandemic also created unprecedented challenges for victims and survivors seeking help and the frontline organizations that support them.

Today, Michael McLeod, Member of Parliament for the Northwest Territories, on behalf of the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, announced over $1 million for the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation and the Northern Mosaic Network.

The funding will be distributed as follows:

$557,880 for the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation for their project Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation Administrative and Governance Policies.

This funding will increase the Foundation’s ability to prevent and address gender-based violence (GBV) against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people, with a focus on individuals impacted by GBV in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon

$443,260 for the Northern Mosaic Network for their project NWT Youth Take Charge: Uniting the Voices of 2SLGTBQIPA+ Northerners and Indigenous People.

This funding will enable the Northern Mosaic Network (NMN) to develop community-informed initiatives to overcome key issues facing 2SLGBTQI+ communities, such as intersectional barriers to equality.

This announcement builds on the endorsement of the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers responsible for the Status of Women in November 2022. The National Action Plan includes five pillars: Support for victims, survivors and their families; Prevention; Responsive justice system; Implementing Indigenous-led approaches; and Social infrastructure and enabling environment.

Quotes

“The rates of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people are unacceptable. Frontline organizations, advocates, and volunteers are working hard for systemic change, and supporting their efforts is critical. The funding announced today will help the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation and the Northern Mosaic Network build greater capacity to provide GBV prevention programming, aimed at addressing the root causes of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people.”

Michael McLeod, Member of Parliament for the Northwest Territories

Quick facts

  • Budget 2022’s commitment of $100 million to the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan includes up to $35 million in new project grants and contributions for 2SLGBTQI+ community organizations.

  • The funding allocated to the Northern Mosaic Network is through the call for proposals for community-informed initiatives to address key challenges and advance equality for 2SLGBTQI+ communities. Women and Gender Equality Canada launched this call for proposals on May 17, 2022.

  • The funding allocated to the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation is part of the approximately $601.3 million that the Government of Canada committed through Budget 2021 to increase efforts to end gender-based violence.

  • This announcement builds on previous WAGE funding of over $13 million to more than 100 commemoration projects to help honour the lives and legacies of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people.

  • The National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, particularly Pillar 4, supports Indigenous-led approaches. Further, this funding also represents a key initiative of the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People (Federal Pathway). 

  • The Federal Pathway is the Government of Canada’s contribution to the 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People National Action Plan: Ending Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ People. It outlines the Government of Canada’s efforts, now and in the future, to end gender-based violence and systemic racism responsible for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people.

  • The Government of Canada has committed approximately $300 million in emergency COVID-19 funding to support individuals experiencing gender-based violence. Since April 2020, the Government of Canada has invested over $259 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.

Associated links

Contacts

Johise Namwira
Press Secretary and Issues Manager
Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth
873-353-0985
Johise.Namwira@fegc-wage.gc.ca

Media Relations
Women and Gender Equality Canada
819-420-6530
FEGC.Media.WAGE@fegc-wage.gc.ca

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