Government of Canada Takes Action to End Violence against Women and Girls on University and College Campuses

FREDERICTON, NB, Nov. 14, 2012 /CNW/ - On behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, Mike Allen, Member of Parliament for Tobique-Mactaquac, today announced funding to the Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre, Inc. to engage young people in addressing violence against women on university and college campuses. Parliamentarians throughout Canada joined Minister Ambrose in announcing their projects locally.

"Our Government is taking action to address violence against women on university and college campuses across Canada." said Minister Ambrose. "We are pleased to support projects that will help make university and college communities safer for everyone."

The Government of Canada is providing 21 organizations with close to $4 million to carry out projects that tackle a wide range of issues related to violence against female students, such as sexual assault and harassment. Organizations will work with college and university campus communities to carry out their projects.

"I am proud to be part of a government that acts on its commitment to end violence against women," said MP Allen. "With the support of the Government of Canada, the project being announced today will empower young people - women and men - to work together to make our community a safe place to live and learn."

The Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre Inc. (FSACC) is receiving $200,000 in funding for a project targeting young women students at a three-institution campus in Fredericton, to help the universities and the community better respond to the issue of sexual violence, engaging both women and men.

"I'm pleased the Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre has received funding for our project to promote a safer campus community for young women," said Ms. Lorraine Whaley, Executive Director, Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre. "Our project will help the Centre partner with campus communities to eliminate violence against young women."

"We are excited to partner with the Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre on this project to prevent violence against women at our university, as well as St. Thomas University and the New Brunswick Community College, with which we share a campus," said Dr. Rice Fuller, Director, Counselling Services, University of New Brunswick. "The Centre's leadership has brought together a diverse coalition of stakeholders from the three institutions and the surrounding community."

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, from $10.8 million to close to $19 million, its highest level ever. Since 2007, more than $54 million in federal funding has been approved for projects that seek to address violence against women and girls.

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Backgrounder  Document d'information

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Organizations receiving funding under the call for proposals - Engaging Young People to Prevent Violence against Women on Post-Secondary Campuses:

Corner Brook Status of Women Council (CBSWC), Corner Brook, NL;
Mount Allison Students' Union, Sackville, NB;
Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre, Inc. (FSACC), Fredericton NB;
Collectivité ingénieuse de la Péninsule acadienne Inc., Paquetville, NB;
Antigonish Women's Resource Centre and Sexual Assault Services Association, Antigonish, NS;
Association chrétienne des jeunes femmes de Montréal (Y des femmes/YWCA Montréal), Montréal, QC;
La Pointe du jour CALACS Sept-Îles, Sept-Îles, QC;
Interim Place, Mississauga, ON;
Ottawa Coalition to End Violence against Women, Ottawa, ON;
Scarborough Women's Centre, Scarborough, ON;
Sexual Assault Centre of Hamilton and Area (SACHA), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON;
Urban Alliance on Race Relations, Toronto, ON;
Yellow Brick House, Richmond Hill, ON;
Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region, Kitchener, ON;
Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta, Edmonton, AB;
Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton, Edmonton, AB;
University of Alberta, Student's Union, Edmonton, AB;
YWCA Lethbridge and District, Lethbridge, AB;
Alberni Community and Women's Services Society, Port Alberni, BC;
MOSAIC (Multilingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities), Vancouver, BC;
Royal Roads University Student Association, Victoria, BC;

These organizations will work with college and/or university campuses in their communities.

 

SOURCE: Status of Women Canada

Amber Irwin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Public Works and
     Government Services and
Minister for Status of Women
819 997-5421

Nanci-Jean Waugh
Director General, Communications and
     Strategic Planning
Status of Women Canada
613 995-7839

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