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

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Nov. 14, 2012 /CNW/ - On behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, Bob Dechert, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Member of Parliament for Mississauga—Erindale, today announced funding to Interim Place 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.

"Our government remains committed to ending violence against women and girls," said Bob Dechert, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament for Mississauga-Erindale. "This promising new project will improve the safety and security of women in our campus community."

Interim Place is receiving $200,000 in funding for this project targeting students at the University of Toronto's Mississauga (UTM) campus. Interim Place will engage women and men on campus in updating the campus Safety Audit and current prevention strategies to meet the needs of women and men, including evaluating services for women attending university and women who are victims of violence.  Activities include an education, awareness and prevention campaign.

"Our project will help us develop and implement a strategy that will have a lasting impact on the safety of women on the University of Toronto Mississauga campus and in the broader community," said Ms. Sharon Floyd, Executive Director, Interim Place. "We want to promote women's safety, and the safety of everyone."

"The University of Toronto Mississauga is pleased to partner with Interim Place, which is skilled in building effective partnerships that empower women," said Ms. Alison Burnett, Director, Health and Counselling Centre, University of Toronto, Mississauga. "Working together, we can develop a strategy for a safer campus community, informed by young women's experiences."

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.

---

Backgrounder

---

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
     Public Affairs
Status of Women Canada
613 995-7839

Ce texte est également disponible en français.

For news releases and information on Status of Women Canada, go to www.women.gc.ca