Manitoba spending $2 million to support family violence prevention

Manitoba is spending $2 million to support family violence prevention in the province, Families Minister Rochelle Squires, minister responsible for the status of women, announced Wednesday.

“On International Women’s Day, it is important to recognize the crucial work the family violence prevention sector does across Manitoba to support women who have experienced gender-based violence,” said Squires.

“Gender-based violence is a pervasive and complex issue that impacts the emotional, physical, social and economic health of survivors and their families.”

The money is part of a new funding model for women’s resource centres across Manitoba.

“These centres provide vital wraparound services that support each woman who has experienced gender-based violence to heal, regain independence and break the cycle of violence,” said Squires.

These centres provide a variety of important services such as assistance and support to navigate public services like child and family services, probation services, victim services, legal aid and employment and income assistance.

Funding for these centres has not been increased since 2013 and with added challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, there’s been an increased demand for these services, the province says.

The money will be going to the following centres:

• Fort Garry Women’s Resource Centre Inc., Winnipeg
• Interlake Women’s Resource Centre Inc., Gimli
• Lakeshore Family Resource Centre Inc., Ashern
• North End Women’s Centre Inc., Winnipeg
• Pluri-elles (Manitoba) Inc., Winnipeg
• Swan Valley Crisis Centre Inc., Swan River
• Western Manitoba Women’s Regional Resource Centre Inc., Brandon
• West Central Women’s Resource Centre, Winnipeg
• Women’s Safe Haven/Resource Service Inc., Flin Flon

“This increase to resource centre funding will help centres improve accessibility and extend current outreach and community programs and services,” said Jennifer Campbell Moore, director and women’s counsellor with the Interlake Women’s Resource Centre.

“The need for counselling services continues to increase and this funding will help to enhance staffing capacity so that we may provide support to more women and children.”

4:04 West Central Women’s Resource Centre on stopping violence against women