Yukon-based projects share $300,000 to prevent and address violence against Indigenous women and girls

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by pmnationtalk on August 3, 2017290 Views


August 01, 2017

The Government of Yukon has awarded more than $300,000 to six organizations to support the prevention of violence against Indigenous women and girls. The funding comes from the Prevention of Violence Against Aboriginal Women Fund and the Aboriginal Women’s Initiative Fund.

Recipients of this funding cycle include the Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre for its A Safe Place program and the Liard Aboriginal Women’s Society for its two-day workshops on response-based practice.

Quotes

“Indigenous women and girls are overrepresented in Yukon as victims of violence and community-based projects like these are crucial to our collective response. Supporting these organizations through funding is part of the government’s commitment to culturally relevant initiatives developed by and for Indigenous women.”

–Minister responsible for the Women’s Directorate Jeanie Dendys

“A Safe Place Program has been running out of the Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre since December 2013. It exists to serve women-identified individuals who are marginalized in Whitehorse. This program is often the first stop for women on their way to other supports and services. We are grateful to be able to continue to shape the Safe Place program in response to the needs of those who use our services and commit to our community for the coming year thanks to the support of Prevention of Violence Against Aboriginal Women Fund and the Women’s Directorate.”

–A Safe Place program coordinator Liz Pilon

“We are happy to create a circle of response-based approaches on addressing violence in Watson Lake. The workshops that this year’s Aboriginal Women’s Initiatives project funding is supporting will teach front-line workers in our community about the response-based approach to supporting victims, which will increase trust, healing and hopefully, reporting and access to justice.”

–Liard Aboriginal Women’s Society representative Ann Maje Raider

Quick facts:

  • The Prevention of Violence Against Aboriginal Women Fund provides assistance for violence prevention projects developed by and for Aboriginal women.

Learn more: Prevention of Violence Against Aboriginal Women Fund

See backgrounder.

Contact:

Sunny Patch
Cabinet Communications
867-393-7478
sunny.patch@gov.yk.ca

Alex Hill
Communications, Women’s Directorate
867-667-8675
alex.hill@gov.yk.ca

Backgrounder:

This funding cycle includes six recipients:

  1. Liard Aboriginal Women’s Society – Building a Circle of Response-Based Practice ($25,000 for one year)
    To develop and deliver three sets of two-day workshops on response-based practice to broaden awareness among front-line community agencies responding to the issue of violence against women and, more broadly, related social justice issues.
  2. Skookum Jim Friendship Centre – Women of Wisdom ($50,000 for two years)
    To develop and deliver 13 bi-weekly workshops as well as a land-based healing camp in both fiscal years, and to develop and deliver a summer canoeing project as well as a weekend trip to a traditional gathering event for both 2017 and 2018.
  3. Teen Parent Access to Education Society – Elder in the School ($15,795 for one year)
    To develop and deliver 35 school days of Elder in the School programming in that will strengthen traditional values, teach skills in traditional arts, and develop ongoing relationships between an Elder and the students to increase the likelihood of students seeking the wisdom of Elders in their communities in the future.
  4. Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre – A Safe Place ($50,000 for two years)
    To operate a low-barrier, supportive, after-hours drop-in program for women facing complex barriers to wellness. The program provides a safe place for women and their children between the hours of 6:00 and 9:00 on Friday evenings, and 5:00 to 8:30 on Saturday and Sunday evenings when other supportive agencies are closed or are felt to be unsafe. A hot, nutritious meal is included, and the activities are led by the wishes of the participants themselves. The program also offers support, referrals, and links to other agencies that can provide support services to women.
  5. Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation – Women’s Healing Retreat ($25,000 for one year)
    To develop and deliver education and awareness programs for a Women’s Healing Retreat in the spring of 2017. The healing camp will empower women to respond to domestic violence and understand the laws and policies that can keep them safe, and will equip women with the knowledge of their rights.
  6. Whitehorse Aboriginal Women’s Circle – Revitalizing our Resilient Spirits through Reconciliation ($25,000 for one year)
    Funding to honour students of the Whitehorse Indian Mission School by continuing to promote reconciliation, by consulting with students, families, and the community on the creation and placement of a monument, and to create a second edition of the Finding our Face and History through Photographs and Stories book.

NT5

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