December 12, 2012
The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Charlene Johnson, Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services and Minister Responsible for the Status of Women:
Funding Awarded to Prevent Violence Against Aboriginal Women and Children
Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House today to announce that $200,000 in funding has been awarded to nine new projects aimed at addressing violence against Aboriginal women and children in Newfoundland and Labrador.
This funding is made available through the Aboriginal Women’s Violence Prevention Grants Program of the Women’s Policy Office, the lead department of the Provincial Government’s Violence Prevention Initiative. Over the last eight years, 81 projects have been funded through this program.
This year’s recipients are:
- St. John’s Native Friendship Centre;
- NunatuKavut Community Council;
- Sheshatshiu Innu Band Council;
- Nunatsiavut Government;
- Flat Bay Indian Band;
- AnanauKatiget Tumingit;
- Newfoundland Aboriginal Women’s Network;
- Mushuau Innu First Nation; and,
- Conne River Health and Social Services.
Criteria for the grants include a focus on violence prevention action plans, public awareness and education materials or activities, healing programs, improved programs and services at shelters for Aboriginal women, the development of Aboriginal women’s leadership, economic or educational capacity, and improved cultural strength of Aboriginal communities.
Mr. Speaker, these criteria are based on needs identified by Aboriginal women at the National Aboriginal Women’s Summit held in Corner Brook in 2007 and annual Aboriginal women’s conferences.
Through our $12 million Violence Prevention Initiative, we are proactively working to identify long-term solutions to prevent violence, including violence against Aboriginal women and children.
We all have a responsibility to address violence. Through the tremendous work being done at the community level and through our annual grants program, we continue to work with our community partners to make a difference in the lives of Aboriginal women and children in our province.
Thank you.