NWT MP Michael McLeod announced $321,350 in federal funding on Thursday morning for four of the NWT’s front-line organizations that support women and children escaping gender-based violence.
The Aimayunga Women and Emergency Foster Care Shelter in Tuktoyaktuk, the Family Support Centre in Hay River, the Inuvik Transition House Society, and the YWCA NWT will use the money to continue to provide essential services during Covid-19.
The Tuktoyaktuk shelter and YWCA are each getting $97,000, while the Hay River and Inuvik support centres are receiving $63,675 each.
The federal government has also allocated funding for another 1,000 similar organizations across the country. Minister for Women and Gender Equality Maryam Monsef said three million women and children may need to access the support these organizations provide.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
The federal government explained staying home during the pandemic has created “unprecedented challenges for survivors of sexual and domestic violence” and that home is not always a safe space for people, which is why support for people fleeing gender-based violence was needed.
“Covid-19 has touched all of our lives in Canada, but we must be mindful that facing the greatest risk are the most vulnerable, including women experiencing violence and their children,” said McLeod in a media release.
“Federal pandemic support to NWT women’s shelters has enabled us to purchase additional cleaning supplies and protective equipment, and to make other changes to ensure physical distancing for clients and staff who live or work in our safe shelters. We are so thankful for this funding and its flexibility to help us meet our pandemic challenges,” noted Lyda Fuller, the executive director of the YWCA in Yellowknife.
