ALMA, QC, Aug. 30, 2019 /CNW/ - Women's organizations provide vital services in 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 foundation 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, Richard Hébert, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion and Member of Parliament for Lac-Saint-Jean, 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 $191,989 in a women's organization based in Alma, Québec and serving Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean.
Récif 02 will promote learning and sharing skills that deal with intersecting identity factors and launch a Feminist Forum special event for all women's groups and committees in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. This will help build stronger partnerships, diversify funding, and increase opportunities for collaboration that will grow the region's local network of women's organizations.
Récif 02 is one organization among the more than 250 women's organizations and Indigenous organizations serving women across Canada receiving funding under the Government of Canada's Capacity-building Fund. This investment stems from the Budget 2018 announcement of $100 million over five years to support a viable and sustainable women's movement across the country.
Quotes
"With our 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. With stable and flexible funding, we are helping women's organizations in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean grow and thrive, 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
"I am proud that the Government of Canada is making strategic investments in women's organizations in Québec. It is crucial that groups like Récif 02 have the resources they need to maintain the services that help advance the wellbeing of women in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. With today's funding announcement, I think that families in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean have every reason to feel confident about what their future holds."
Richard Hébert
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion
Member of Parliament for Lac-Saint-Jean
"We are very pleased to receive this financial support from the federal government. Expanding and strengthening our network is an ongoing process that brings positive change to the women we serve. This is an opportunity for our organization to engage in strategic planning to strengthen our collaborations and develop a more inclusive feminism to better represent women all women in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. Together, we will continue our collective efforts to help advance equality in our region."
Martine Boivin, Project Manager
Récif 02, Table de concertation des groupes de femmes Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
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 invests a further $160 million over five years, starting in 2019–20, in Women and Gender Equality Canada's Women's Program. This means that in 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.
- 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.
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Backgrounder
Women and Gender Equality Canada – Women's Program
One of the ways Women and Gender Equality Canada 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.
Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean Project
Today's announcement in Alma, Québec, profiled a local women's organization selected for federal funding through the Capacity-building Fund:
Récif 02 (Table de concertation des groupes de femmes Saguenay-Lac-Saint Jean)
Project title: Together, Towards a More Inclusive Dialogue
Funding amount: $191,989
Récif 02 will promote learning and sharing skills that deal with intersecting identity factors and launch a Feminist Forum special event for all women's groups and committees in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. This will help build stronger partnerships, diversify funding, and increase opportunities for collaboration that will grow the region's local network of women's organizations.
Récif 02 advocates for and defends the interests of women to improve their living conditions. It is a non-partisan feminist network of knowledge exchange, training, information and action. It acts to ensure the rights and interests of women in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean are respected in areas such as health, social and economic development.
Associated Links
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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, Women and Gender Equality Canada, 819-420-8684
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