Almost 60 projects have been approved, which represent an investment of more than $8 million in gender equality promotion across the country. Those projects will benefit more than 260,000 women and will have spinoffs in two strategic areas: improving women's economic security and combating violence against women.
I am very pleased to announce a project aimed at young single mothers in the Outaouais area. That project will allow some of them to go back to school and receive the training they need to secure employment. It will also allow women who have already completed their studies to benefit from internships and actually occupy a job, thereby ensuring their economic security.
An information component has also been developed with a view to raising awareness among young women of the dangers of violence against women and equipping them to combat that violence. Even though they may have had a child very young, these young women most certainly aspire to economic security, as a means of escaping the cycle of poverty. We know that very often, the challenge facing young mothers is to come to terms with their new role as a mother, while at the same time ensuring their economic security.