Thank you very much for the question. I have to thank Ms. Truppe for her outstanding work as the Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women.
I appreciate the question. I think it's very top of mind, this being one of the 16 days of activism regarding violence against women and girls. As I mentioned in my notes, since 2007, the Government of Canada, Status of Women Canada has funded over sixty-two million dollars’ worth of projects, in fact, over 300 locally based projects to end violence against women and girls. It's the highest funding level, ever, in this file.
A number of the projects are worth highlighting. The reason I highlight them at this time—as I mentioned yesterday when we had our small press conference to launch our 16 days of activism against violence against women and girls—is that I think it's important for all Canadians to participate. Whether it is by wearing a ribbon, participating in a local community project, or getting involved in one of the existing projects, this is an opportunity for all of us to take on this joint responsibility.
By way of example, one of the projects funded by Status of Women Canada is promoting healthy youth relationships. The Canadian Red Cross has received over $300,000 for a 31-month project to raise awareness of the relationships of violence, and promoting healthy relationships among boys and girls 14 to 18 years old.
Another project I mentioned engages young people to prevent violence against women on post-secondary campuses. This is a particularly excellent project, where the Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre has received $200,000 for a 28-month project to enhance the capacity of multiple post-secondary education institutions. St. Thomas University, the University of New Brunswick, and New Brunswick Community College are all working on a plan to respond to violence against women and girls on their campuses, something we've heard about in other areas of the country.
As I mentioned before, I'm very pleased with our historic funding levels. I want to encourage as many Canadians as possible. I hope that everyone around this table will actively participate in the 16 days of activism to reduce and prevent violence against women and girls across the country.
Obviously, this is something very important to me, as I know it is to all of you and to our government. It's one of our number one priorities.