Rexdale Women's Centre is receiving funding to ensure it can continue providing essential supports to women and their families
TORONTO, April 23, 2019 /CNW/ - Women's organizations provide vital services to our communities, supporting women and girls to be financially secure, free from violence, and able to fully participate in all aspects of our economy and society. Yet for far too long they have been chronically underfunded, underestimated and undermined. The Government of Canada recognizes that women's organizations are the lifeblood of the women's movement and that maintaining and growing their ability to do this important work is the most effective way to advance gender equality.
That's why today, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport and Member of Parliament for Etobicoke North, on behalf of the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality, announced that the Government of Canada is investing $129,032 in the Rexdale Women's Centre. This funding will help build the organization's capacity to support women using innovative new techniques, including applying Gender-based Analysis Plus to their services, and sharing this knowledge with sister organizations so that the wider community can better support immigrant, refugee, and newcomer women.
The Rexdale Women's Centre is one of more than 250 women's organization, and Indigenous organizations serving women across Canada receiving funding under the Capacity-building Fund. The investment stems from the Budget 2018 announcement of $100 million over five years to support a viable and sustainable women's movement across Canada.
Quotes
"With this historic investment, we recognize the women and women's organizations breaking through barriers, and express our gratitude to those who have been doing this work for decades on little more than a shoestring budget. The women's movement across Canada has been asking for a reliable, predictable and accessible source of funds to ensure the sustainability of their work. Our government listened. With stable and flexible funding for the Rexdale Women's Centre, they will be able to grow and endure, because we know that investing in women's organizations is the most effective way to advance gender equality. By supporting a movement that has achieved amazing results, we are growing the middle class, strengthening families and communities, and creating lasting change that benefits everyone."
The Honourable Maryam Monsef, P.C., M.P.
Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality
"For more than 30 years, the Rexdale Women's Centre has been supporting immigrant, refugee, and newcomer women to thrive in our community by helping them feel less isolated, teaching them new skills, and developing culturally sensitive programs that target their unique needs. I am proud that a vital part of our community is receiving this critical funding to maintain and grow their impact for the women and families in Etobicoke."
The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, P.C., M.P.
Minister for Science and Sport
Member of Parliament for Etobicoke North
"Our vision is for immigrant, refugee and newcomer women and their families to effectively settle and integrate into Canadian society. We are grateful to the Government of Canada for investing in our capacity to help women be safe, healthy, and financially secure, regardless of their background or circumstances."
Fatima Filippi, Executive Director
Rexdale Women's Centre
Quick Facts
- Budget 2018 announced $100 million over five years to support a viable and sustainable women's movement across Canada. Adding to this historic investment, Budget 2019 proposes to invest a further $160 million over five years, starting in 2019–20, in the Department for Women and Gender Equality's Women's Program. This means that by 2023–24, the Women's Program, which supports eligible organizations to carry out projects to advance equality by addressing systemic barriers, will total $100 million annually.
- This funding will enable women's organizations and Indigenous organizations serving women to tackle systemic barriers impeding women's progress, while recognizing and addressing the diverse experiences of gender and inequality across the country.
- Women continue to be disproportionately affected by economic insecurity. In 2015, women in Canada earned just 88 cents for every dollar earned by men. They are also much more likely to work on a part-time basis, making up 76% of all part-time workers, with 25% of women reporting childcare responsibilities as their reason for working part-time.
- Some populations are more likely to experience violence and may face unique barriers and challenges that put them at particular risk (Statistics Canada, 2015).
- Canada will host the Women Deliver 2019 Conference from June 3 to 6, 2019, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Held every three years, it is the world's largest gathering on gender equality and the health, rights and well-being of women and girls.
- The conference is part of a global movement to promote gender equality worldwide that gives voice to a broad spectrum of people, including Indigenous peoples, youth and those living in conflict and crisis settings. It will bring together more than 6,000 individuals—world leaders, influencers, advocates, academics, activists, youth and journalists—from more than 160 countries, with an additional 100,000 people joining virtually.
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Backgrounder
Department for Women and Gender Equality – Women's Program
One of the ways the Department for Women and Gender Equality advances gender equality in Canada is by providing funding to eligible organizations through the Women's Program. Projects are selected via calls for proposals on specific themes, as well as through a continuous intake process that allows the Women's Program to address emerging issues as they arise.
The Women's Program funds projects that address systemic barriers to women's equality in three priority areas: ending violence against women and girls; improving the economic security and prosperity of women and girls; and encouraging women and girls in leadership roles.
Capacity-building Call for Proposals
In October 2018, Minister Monsef announced a Call for Proposals under the Capacity-building Fund of the Women's Program. Projects at the local, provincial, and national level were eligible for different amounts of funding, based on their specific internal needs and reach.
On March 8, 2019, International Women's Day, Minister Monsef announced that over 250 women's organizations across the country would receive funding from the Capacity-building Fund.
The objective is to fund proposals that will increase the capacity of eligible women's organizations and Indigenous organizations serving women, whose initiatives contribute to a viable women's movement in Canada that advances gender equality. Funding will increase the ability of organizations to grow, meet the increasing demands for their services, and continue to work collectively to address gender equality issues. The fund stems from the Budget 2018 announcement of $100 million over five years to help support a viable and sustainable women's movement across Canada.
Today's announcement in Etobicoke, Ontario profiled one of the organizations selected for federal funding through the Capacity-building Fund:
Rexdale Women's Centre
Project title: Strategic Direction and Learning – For Impact and Sustainability
Funding amount: $129,032
The Rexdale Women's Centre will build the organization's capacity to support women using innovative new techniques, including applying Gender-based Analysis Plus to their services, and sharing this knowledge with sister organizations so that the wider community can better support immigrant, refugee, and newcomer women. It will also develop succession plans for its board, senior and mid-level leadership to ensure that it is able to maintain long-term services in the community.
The Rexdale Women's Centre is an independent, non-for-profit, voluntary agency that serves high-needs women and their family members residing in the Greater Toronto Area. They support immigrant, refugee and newcomer women and their families to become fully participating members in Canadian society by providing essential services and facilitating access to community resources.
Follow the Department for Women and Gender Equality:
SOURCE Department for Women and Gender Equality
Braeson Holland, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality, 343-549-8825; Valérie Haché, Senior Communications Advisor, Department for Women and Gender Equality, 819-420-8684
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