Over 250 projects from women’s and Indigenous organizations across Canada will receive funding to ensure they can continue providing essential supports to women and their families
Toronto, Ontario – Department for Women and Gender Equality - Women’s organizations provide essential services to our communities, supporting women and girls to be financially secure, free from violence, and able to fully participate in all aspects of our economy and society. Yet for far too long they have been chronically underfunded, underestimated and undermined. The Government of Canada recognizes that women’s organizations are the lifeblood of the women’s movement and that maintaining and growing their ability to do this important work is the most effective way to advance gender equality.
That’s why today, on International Women’s Day, the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality together with the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and Member of Parliament for York South–Weston, announced that the government will invest in over 250 projects from women’s organizations and Indigenous organizations serving women across Canada under the Capacity-building Fund. The fund stems from the Budget 2018 announcement of $100 million over five years to support a viable and sustainable women’s movement across Canada.
The announcement was made at the Daniels Spectrum Artscape, where Ministers Monsef and Hussen highlighted four of the projects that will receive funding:
- Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic will receive $250,000 for Investing in Women's Rights Philanthropy, which will help the specialized legal clinic create new, creative and innovative fundraising opportunities to help the organization continue to be a force for women’s rights. This increased funding will also enable improved services and outreach to isolated women who may be vulnerable or at risk of violence due to poverty, disability, geographic location, language barriers, precarious immigration, and work status.
- Canadian Council of Muslim Women will receive $761,720 for Strengthening Capacity to empower Muslim Women and Girls, which will increase the organization’s ability to apply the gender and diversity lens known as Gender-based Analysis Plus to their services. This will help the organization better identify the interconnecting challenges faced by Canadian Muslim women, and ultimately be better advocates for fair and equitable policies, programs, and services affecting Muslim women and girls.
- DisAbled Women’s Network Canada (DAWN) will receive $830,959 for DAWN Canada Capacity Grant 2019-2023, which will help the organization to advance reform, research, education, and advocacy for women and girls with disabilities or who are deaf. It will also help the organization work more effectively with its networks and partners by transferring knowledge about interconnecting issues that affect women and girls with disabilities and deaf women and girls.
- Scarborough Women’s Centre will receive $209,240 for Strategically Advancing Gender Equality (S.A.G.E.), which will help them meet the increased demands for services from the women in their community – the majority of which have at least one child, have a household income of less than $25,000, and are unemployed despite having some post-secondary education. It will also help the organization stay connected in the community, with the resources, knowledge and support needed to empower women to achieve independence.
The funding stems from a call for proposals announced by Minister Monsef in October 2018. Other projects related to this call for proposals will be announced in the coming months.
Source : Government of Canada