Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), in response to the unprecedented challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada acted quickly in providing $300 million of emergency funding to over 1,400 organizations, such as women’s shelters, sexual assault centres and other organizations that provide critical supports and services to those experiencing gender-based violence, GBV. Among these, 459 women’s shelters received funding through this initiative.
With regard to part (b), this investment served as a short-term emergency response to the pandemic to enhance the capacity and responsiveness of organizations during the pandemic.
With regard to part (c), the amounts received by each women’s shelter varied according to their identified needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. For additional information on funding received under this program, please visit the Women and Gender Equality Canada, WAGE, website at https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/funding/supporting-women-children-experiencing-violence-during-covid-19.html
With regard to part (d), along with other temporary COVID-19 emergency measures introduced by the federal government since 2020, the funding measure for GBV organizations is coming to an end. However, WAGE continues to support GBV organizations and their efforts to prevent and address GBV, including through the following investments since 2021-22: $55 million over five years to bolster the capacity of indigenous women and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations to provide GBV programming aimed at addressing the root causes of violence against indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people; $30 million over five years for crisis hotlines to offer more robust services, resources and supports for those experiencing GBV; $105 million over five years to enhance the gender-based violence program, including promising practices to support at-risk populations and survivors; and $11 million over five years for GBV research and knowledge mobilization, including support for community research models.
Building on these investments, budget 2022 provided an additional $539.3 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, to support provinces and territories in their efforts to implement the national action plan to end gender-based violence. Launched on November 9, 2022, by federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for the status of women, the national action plan to end gender-based violence is a 10-year plan that sets a framework to have a Canada free of gender-based violence, a Canada that supports victims, survivors and their families from coast to coast to coast. The national action plan is informed by over 1,000 recommendations from indigenous partners, victims and survivors; frontline organizations; and experts.