ETOBICOKE, ON, June 25, 2013 /CNW/ - On behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, Mr. Ted Opitz, Member of Parliament for Etobicoke Centre, today announced federal government support for a project in Etobicoke that addresses the issue of violence against women and girls.
"Our Government is committed to protecting women, girls and other vulnerable persons from all forms of violence, and to holding offenders accountable for their acts," said Mr. Opitz. "I commend the Community MicroSkills Development Centre for addressing this very important issue here in the Etobicoke community."
Community MicroSkills Development Centre is receiving $175,000 for a 24-month project to develop a community strategy to address the issue of violence against women and girls in various Toronto neighbourhoods. Participants include girls and young women attending high school, young single mothers and expectant mothers, as well as local service providers. The project's goal is to identify and respond to gaps in approaches to violence prevention by adapting a model developed by the Rexdale Women's Centre to meet the needs of the various communities.
"The Government of Canada is committed to improving the lives of women and girls across Canada," said Minister Ambrose. "That is why we are proud to support projects like this, because the safety and security of girls and young women is essential to their well- being, and that of their families and communities."
"We are very pleased to partner with Status of Women Canada on this project to help end violence against women and girls in our community," said Ms. Kay Blair, Executive Director of Community MicroSkills Development Centre. "We are committed to working with our partners to fill the gaps in approaches to violence prevention at the local level."
This project is being supported under Status of Women Canada's recent Call for Proposals entitled Working Together: Engaging Communities to End Violence against Women and Girls. It aligns with the specific theme of preventing and reducing violence against women and girls in high-risk neighbourhoods.
The Government of Canada is committed to supporting projects that yield concrete results for women and girls in Canada while strengthening families, communities and the country. Through Status of Women Canada, the government's support for community-based projects has nearly doubled since 2006-2007, supporting over 600 projects.
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SOURCE: Status of Women Canada
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