Harper Government funds projects to end violence against women and girls in PEI

Funding will support projects to prevent cyber and sexual violence

Summerside, PE, Aug. 1, 2014 /CNW/ - The Honourable Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women, along with the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Member of Parliament for Egmont, today announced more than $300,000 in Government of Canada funding for two new projects to prevent violence against women and girls in Prince Edward Island (PEI).

Two organizations in Prince Edward Island will receive funding under Status of Women Canada's Call for Proposals entitled Cyber and Sexual Violence: Helping Communities Respond. The East Prince Women's Information Centre Inc. will receive $173,338 in funding for its two-year project to prevent and eliminate cyberviolence against young women and girls. Through this project, the organization will collaborate with community stakeholders to create a network that will allow organizations to share information and best practices to respond to cyberviolence. The project will also engage young women and girls in understanding cyberviolence, and will empower them to carry out strategies to prevent or eliminate it in the community.

The Prince Edward Island Rape and Sexual Assault Centre will receive $134,685 for its
two-year project to prevent and respond to sexual violence against women and girls. Through this project, the organization will work with community partners to develop a collaboration strategy that will promote a consistent response to sexual assault victims across PEI, as well as improve victims' access to support services.

Quick Facts

• Since 2007, the Government of Canada, through Status of Women Canada, has provided more than $69 million for projects to prevent and end violence against women and girls.
  
• Through Status of Women Canada, the Government's support for community-based projects has nearly doubled since 2006-2007, supporting over 720 projects.
  
• The Government of Canada has introduced Bill C-13, the Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act, which would make it a criminal offence to distribute intimate images without the consent of the person depicted.
  
• Last January, our government also launched a national anti-cyberbullying public awareness campaign called Stop Hating Online, to raise awareness among Canadians of the impact of cyberbullying, and to identify when this behaviour amounts to criminal activity.

Quotes

"Our Government of Canada is committed to ending violence against women and girls in all its forms. We proudly support community-based projects across the country that help victims and provide services that prevent cyber and sexual violence. By targeting such violence, these projects strengthen our communities and make a positive difference in the lives of women and girls."

The Honourable Dr. K. Kellie Leitch
Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women

"Our Government is taking concrete action to address violence against women and girls, wherever it occurs. By working with skilled, local organizations here in Prince Edward Island, we are equipping communities with the tools they need to protect women and girls from violence, whether it takes place in the home, in the community or online."

The Honourable Gail Shea
Member of Parliament for Egmont

"This Government of Canada funding allows us to work closely with our partners here in Prince Edward Island to improve our understanding of cyberviolence and share promising practices. With this exchange of knowledge, we will enhance the way that we support the young women and girls who face such acts as cyberbullying, Internet luring and cyberstalking."

Ms. Andy Lou Somers, Executive Director
East Prince Women's Information Centre

"We are proud to work with the Government of Canada on this project, which will improve services for victims of sexual violence in PEI. By collaborating with other organizations on the Island, we can help to ensure that victims across the province receive the same high-calibre support, no matter where they live."

Sigrid Rolfe, Organizational Coordinator
Prince Edward Island Rape and Sexual Assault Centre

Related Products

• Cyber and Sexual Violence: Helping Communities Respond

Additional Links

• Information About Status of Women Canada at women.gc.ca

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Photos of Minister Leitch are available.

Ce texte est également disponible en français.

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

SOURCE: Status of Women Canada

For media inquiries only: Andrew McGrath, Press Secretary, Office of the Hon. Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, P.C., O.Ont., M.P., Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women, Tel: [phone], [email protected]; For all other inquiries: Nanci-Jean Waugh, Director General, Communications and Public Affairs, Status of Women Canada, Tel: [phone]