Status of Women committee  I would say, have pots of funding that can be accessed by women at the community level so that the control is in the hands of the women about how they want to proceed in their community and what they want to do. I would just say that so much needs to be done. We need to have strong support systems.

Status of Women committee  We have two women, one long-time northerner and another aboriginal woman with a healing background, who have gone into five of the eleven communities, I believe. We're going in sort of under the radar. We're not going in saying we're here to talk about violence, because we don't want to get the community up in arms about that, but we're meeting with the women in small groups and then in larger groups on the second visit, talking to them and taking direction from them about what they would like to see happen and what their needs are.

Status of Women committee  I'll just throw in how important it is for discourse across the three northern territories. Arlene talks about research. We, as women's organizations across the territories, have done work on the causes of homelessness for women. It led to the development of on-the-ground services like the homeless shelter for women in Iqaluit.

Status of Women committee  Yes.

Status of Women committee  They have lived their lives like that. Once again, I would urge community development, healing programs, and housing. We just had an elder abuse conference here in Yellowknife for across the territory, and a study has been done on a survey of elder abuse, which is significant across the north.

Status of Women committee  One of the key pieces is around community development. Healing and community development are inseparable. You need the whole community to heal and come together to address some of these issues. Healing and community development are not on the radar for funding. It's very necessary.

Status of Women committee  Yes. I'm here now--

Status of Women committee  --for the YWCA, yes, but on behalf of our shelter for women fleeing violence, women and their children. I won't go through the statistics. They're listed here. It's very high in the north. I just want to say that most women in NWT communities face formidable barriers to accessing services and support to escape from violence.

Status of Women committee  In addition to housing, I would say money for community development...how important it is, how critical it is. The distances even to travel to communities are so great, and women want support and assistance with that.

Status of Women committee  I'm struggling with how to answer that. For me, the prime mover around the violence here is the colonization that happened and the oppression and trauma that have impacted whole communities. On top of that, other stressors that are in place certainly keep the pot stirred around things.

Status of Women committee  Because we're designates for the emergency protection orders, we've been working closely with the RCMP in most of the communities across the territory. I would say they try very hard. It's variable what you hear back at the community level. We meet with them regularly, and whenever we raise an issue—and we will dog it, let me tell you—they have followed up and responded.

Status of Women committee  I just wanted to say that in December I was in Whitehorse, and they have been conducting a campaign. I brought posters back to bring to the coalition. They engaged men and they have developed posters with men saying, this is not okay, and I honour my wife and I protect my kids. They have had lots of success with that.

Status of Women committee  I'd just like to acknowledge that housing is a huge issue here. If I could make one plea to the federal government, it would be for a national housing strategy.

Status of Women committee  It's a huge issue for us, and it's going to get worse, because the federal funding for social housing is backing out. It will become strictly a territorial responsibility. So, please, we would love a national housing strategy. I'd just like to comment about community engagement.

Status of Women committee  I'd like to answer that. I think the Coalition Against Family Violence has been very effective in having all of us work together. It's not easy. It takes a lot of work--it takes skill--among the members to compromise and to come to agreement. But the issue in the Northwest Territories is so pervasive and so impactful on the lives of women, and the front-line workers hear and experience so many chilling stories and examples, that it really motivates us to work together as a group.