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Funding for the National Action Plan to End Gender Based Violence Announced: Federal and Provincial Governments Will Both Have Roles to Play

November 9, 2022

Funding for the National Action Plan to End Gender Based Violence Announced: Federal and Provincial Governments Will Both Have Roles to Play

Edmonton, Alberta – The Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS) is pleased to share today’s announcement from the Government of Canada of landmark funding for the roll-out of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. The plan includes $539.3 million in federal funding, which will be dispersed across the country and will require collaboration with provincial governments to negotiate a cost-sharing agreement. 

ACWS has long recognized the need for a national action plan on gender-based violence based on international conventions and has supported efforts through its membership with Women’s Shelters Canada to advance this objective. 

The plan has been announced with three key priorities: 1) stabilizing the shelter sector, 2) an investment in violence prevention work, and 3) meeting the needs of underserved populations, including Indigenous people, the 2SLGBTQ+ community, newcomers, and youth. 

The announcement stated that the new funds would not replace existing funding, which is especially significant in Alberta, where the shelter sector has been destabilized by chronic underfunding during the 8-year provincial freeze on operational dollars and salaries. 

Agreements are to be signed between federal and provincial governments once negotiations on the terms of the cost sharing have taken place. 

“Collaboration between the federal and provincial governments will be critical in seeing this plan come to fruition,” said ACWS Executive Director, Jan Reimer. “A serious investment has been a long time coming and is sorely needed to so that frontline shelter workers are supported with living wages and shelter operating costs are met. These are critically important pieces needed so that shelters can focus on the intervention and prevention work they do, meeting the needs of those fleeing violence, rather than day to day fundraising to keep their doors open.” 

The Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters also recommends that funds be earmarked for initiatives that support children who have been exposed to violence. Augmenting shelters’ capacity to support children will be an important part of the prevention work that breaks cycles of violence that can perpetuate in future generations. 

Mel Willerth, Program Development & Training Coordinator with ACWS, said, “We know that children who experience violence in the home have long-lasting effects on their development, health and well-being. One of the ways we’ve been supporting shelters to address this is through the development of our children’s curriculum, The Healthy Brain. The curriculum, which is taught through the ACWS Learning Management System, supports the development of essential knowledge and skills for shelter employees who work with children who have been exposed to or experienced violence within their homes.” 

ACWS is also requesting that the Council be included in any upcoming roundtable discussions that will be organized provincially on how to allocate this funding. Implementation plans will be developed by each of the provinces, and it is critical that ACWS be at the table as the province designs and updates the province’s implementation strategy. We also call for full transparency on how these dollars are allocated. 

ACWS has recommended in our Advancing a National Action Plan in Alberta, that the province be guided by a Provincial Expert Advisory and Monitoring Body, consisting of provincial VAW/GBV organizations, academics, and other experts. 

About Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS) 

Together, ACWS and its members work to end domestic violence—in our homes and throughout our communities.  A registered charity, ACWS is the provincial network organization of women’s shelters in Alberta. We bring close to four decades of experience and knowledge to serve our 39 members operating over 50 shelters across the province for women, children, and seniors facing domestic abuse. We advocate for ACWS members and work with them to end domestic violence through culture-shifting violence prevention programs, collective data and research, and front-line training. With support from ACWS, Alberta shelters are helping to provide safety, support families, and improve communities. 

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For further information or to arrange for an interview, please contact:

Olivia Street, Coordinator of Communications and Social Advocacy
olivia.street@acws.ca
780-456-7098