The federal government is providing $250,000 for a new project to address violence against women and girls in Surrey and the surrounding area, the Minister of Status of Women Dr. K. Kellie Leitch announced Friday.
The money will go towards the Surrey Women’s Centre Society for a project that aims to improve services for women and girls who have experienced physical and sexual assault.
The project will provide improved medical, legal and social intervention for victims. According to the society, women who are assaulted are less likely to make a police report or seek medical treatment than victims of other crimes.
“Gender-based violence is a pervasive issue that touches us all,” said Fleetwood-Port Kells MP Nina Grewal. “Through this project, the Surrey Women’s Centre Society is providing effective, targeted, and community-based support to address violence against women and girls across the region.”
Leitch said the community support, in addition to holding offenders responsible, is part of the federal government’s commitment to protecting girls and women from violence.
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Sonya Boyce, executive director of the Surrey Women’s Centre Society, said the streamlined care for victims of gender-based violence is crucial.
“This project fills a real need in the community; until now, there has been no effective coordination of services in our region to respond to the needs of women and girls who have been physically and/or sexually assaulted,” she said.
The Surrey Women’s Centre offers crisis, court and counselling services and a 24-hour mobile support service in partnership with Surrey Memorial Hospital.
“After an assault, it is critical that women and girls receive immediate medical attention due to the possibility of injury, pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections.” said Lynn Gifford, forensic nursing services coordinator at Surrey Memorial Hospital.
“Many women have injuries that they are unaware of, and sometimes these injuries can be life threatening. Accessing medical care after an assault… is critical and the collection of forensic evidence has proved crucial in the prosecution of sexual offenses.”
According to Statistics Canada, 173,600 cases of violent crime against women were reported to police in 2011. The most common offences were common assault, uttering threats, serious assault, sexual assault and criminal harassment.
According to the data, intimate partners were responsible in 45 per cent of the cases.
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