CHETWYND -- Indigenous women and girls in northern British Columbia are set to receive a boost in community-led support, thanks to a $1 million funding initiative from the ‘Giving Voice’ project.
In Chetwynd, The Linda Krystina Housing Society will receive ‘as much as’ $30,000 to unite women and youth in raising awareness about the violence they face and drive change.
The project, spearheaded by the Minister's Advisory Council on Indigenous Women (MACIW), aims to address the high rates of gender-based violence faced by Indigenous women, who are four times more likely to experience such violence compared to others.
“This latest round of Giving Voice funding is supporting meaningful initiatives that foster healing and promote safety for Indigenous women and girls, and empower change at a community level,” said Barb Ward-Burkitt, chair of MACIW.
A total of eight organizations in northern B.C. will receive funding for projects that highlight the challenges of violence faced by Indigenous women.
“This cycle of violence must end and no one knows how to build their community better than the people who live in it-- I’m proud that funding through the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence is going toward organizations such as these which are doing meaningful work to empower Indigenous communities across British Columbia,” said Marci Ien, federal Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth in a press release.
Started in 2013, the Giving Voice program focuses on ensuring the safety and rights of Indigenous Peoples to make their own cultural decisions.
It also supports the province’s goal to build better relationships with Indigenous communities and follow the rules set out in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
Formed in 2011, MACIW is an Indigenous women led advisory council that informs how the B.C. government can make life better for Indigenous women and girls in the province.
