Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Boozoo, aaniin and as-salaam alaikum, colleagues. I hope you're safe. I hope you're well, and I wish the same for your teams and for your loved ones.
It's a privilege to be back in the House, on the traditional territory that the Algonquin peoples have called home for so many generations.
Let me begin by first recognizing and appreciating nurses on the front lines of this work. Last week, as a country, we mobilized to celebrate them. Let me thank the nurses who were by the bedside of Sister Ruth Hennessey in Peterborough and saw her through her final moments, the nurses who were with my own grandmother in her own final moments, the nurses who are having very difficult conversations with their loved ones, explaining why they can't be close to them. We thank them, and we look forward to a day when their work and the demand on their services is less than it is today.
It is my honour to stand in the House and pay tribute to the incredible women, past and present, who have shaped Canada, who have struggled to create change in systems that don't always welcome it, who have pushed to create a stronger and fairer country, and who have led the way in the drive for equality. Our government will continue to take our lead from those on the front lines of the efforts to advance equality. We have worked with them every step of the way since we formed government. Our plan is working because we're working with them.
COVID-19 is a crisis unlike any other. It's hit women hardest with jobs lost and women taking on more unpaid work than they already were for their kids as well as their elders. Women are the majority of those on the front lines of the fight against COVID. That includes nurses, of course, but also personal support workers, other health care workers, child care workers, food sector workers and social workers.
The rates of domestic violence and gender-based violence were high in Canada pre-COVID, with a woman being killed by her intimate partner every six days. We were already moving ahead with a national action plan to address and prevent gender-based violence. We were already well poised to work with our territorial and provincial counterparts to make this happen. We were already adopting a trauma-informed, culturally sensitive and intersectional approach.
What the pandemic has done is exacerbate the vulnerabilities of too many women and their children. COVID-19 has resulted in a shadow pandemic, exacerbating the issue of gender-based violence. As a result of the necessary isolation measures, coupled with the pressures that people are experiencing, many of our partners on the front lines are telling us that the rates and severity of violence have increased. At the same time, some organizations are telling us that things are eerily quiet. This is especially true in more rural and remote parts of this country, where too many are without access to high-speed Internet.
The isolation measures in place mean that some women are unable to seek help due to increased scrutiny and control, compounded by a lack of access to friends, extended families, community centres, schools and places of worship. In too many instances, they're trapped at home with their abusers.
Just because we can't see it does not mean it's not happening. This pandemic has not made the violence stop. It's driven it further underground. We may not be able to see it, but we know it's happening.
Too many may not be aware that support organizations are open and are ready to help. Help is available. You don't need to stay at home if your home is not a safe home.
To ensure that these organizations are able to continue their critical work at this important time, our government announced $50 million to support them—$40 million being delivered through my own department and $10 million being delivered through the department of Indigenous Services Canada. I thank my colleague there for his strong partnership.
As well, $23 million has been provided to Women's Shelters Canada and the Canadian Women's Foundation, who worked quickly to get money into the bank accounts of front-line organizations. I thank Lise Martin and Paulette Senior for their effective leadership. Payments began to flow in April. As of today, I can confirm that 422 women's shelters and 89 sexual assault centres have received funding.
We've of course reached a separate agreement with the Government of Quebec, which is receiving $6.4 million in federal funding to flow to their front-line organizations. Those funds were transferred to the province in early May.
We're deeply grateful to women's and equality-seeking organizations across the country for providing services to women and to vulnerable children. They're providing critical supports, and we will continue to support them so that they can continue to be there for women and children in their hour of need.
Organizations are using these funds to keep their staff paid, to keep their doors open and to ensure that the most vulnerable in communities across the country have a place to turn to. The money is helping to assist them in purchasing cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment to protect workers and those they serve, and in securing additional laptops and software so that they can support their clients remotely and allow for necessary physical distancing measures.
An additional $10 million will be distributed to address gaps and support hundreds of other organizations. All eligible organizations will receive funding by early June, and I will have more to share with my colleagues and with Canadians in the coming days.
If your home is not a safe home for you or your family, you don't have to stay. Reach out to a local organization directly or talk to someone you trust to discuss your options and plan your exit. Visit sheltersafe.ca. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency services. There are people answering crisis lines across the country and they can help you even if you have only a few minutes to talk, including the kids helpline. You can reach them at 1-800-668-6868.
If you can't speak on the phone, the signal for help is a simple one-handed sign you can use during a video call. It can help you silently show that you need help and want someone to check in with you in a safe way. Put your palm to the camera, tuck your thumb and trap your thumb. If you see someone signalling for help, call and ask them open-ended questions like “Are you okay?”, “Do you want me to call 911?” or “Do you want me to check in with you regularly?” Visit the Canadian Women's Foundation website for more details. They have created this hand signal.
No one should have to live through violence, whether it's physical, psychological, financial or sexual. I want to assure all those impacted by gender-based violence, and indeed all Canadians, that we will continue to be there for you throughout the pandemic, and that as we move forward together, things will get better.
Thank you.