A joint partnership to support the implementation of a national plan to end gender-based violence is in the works, led by the federal and Manitoban governments.
It provides the basis to support what the province has noted to be the five pillars of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. Totalling $22.3 million over the span of four years, the partnership aims to support the implementation of this national plan in the hopes of creating “a Canada free of gender-based violence and provide support to victims, survivors and their families across the country.”
Families minister Rochelle Squires, in a press release on July 25, said the funding enhances services for survivors of gender-based violence while strengthening the social infrastructure in the province.
“Through collaboration with organizations and the implementation of prevention initiatives, programs and services, we will tackle the root causes of (gender-based violence) and provide support to those who need it the most,” said Squires.
“By working together, we can create a province where everyone can live free from violence.”
The funding is slated to focus on initiatives that emphasize leadership, coordination and engagement, and data, research and knowledge. According to the province, through such funding the province would be able to collaborate with organizations like the Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters and the Family Violence Consortium of Manitoba, aiming to establish a “Gender-Based Violence Continuum of Healing Support organization.”
The funding will further be split into:
- Supporting the development of a data collection strategy to inform progress on the province’s Framework for Addressing Gender-Based Violence, as well as the calls for justice within the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
- Supports for engagement initiatives to better understand the experiences and needs of specific needs.
- Support for operational and training initiatives to enhance support for victims, survivors, and their families.
- Support for the Toba Centre for Children and Youth, providing forensic nursing services and wrap-around support for children and youth who have experience physical or sexual violence.
The National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence is a 10-year plan that launched near the end of last year.