Question Period Note: Voices of Indigenous Women

• The voices of Indigenous women are essential to our journey of reconciliation and healing as a country.
• In February 2019, we signed a whole-of-government relationship agreement with the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC). Through the Canada-NWAC Accord, we have:
o provided $7.3 million in the first three years of the Accord to support the ability of the organization to bring forward the voices and perspectives of Indigenous women for inclusion in policy and program development; and
o worked with the Native Women’s Association and federal departments to identify shared priorities and interests that are supported through priority specific project funding.

N/A

If pressed
• We have also provided funding toward the operating costs of the organization through the Basic Organizational Capacity fund which was increased from $734,559 to $1 million per year in July 2017.
• We will continue to work in partnership with NWAC to make progress on priorities important to Indigenous women.

If pressed on Native Women’s Association of Canada Departure from National Action Plan process
• Over 100 Indigenous women and Two-Spirit LGBTQQIA+ partners from government and non-government organizations, Indigenous women’s organizations, and families and survivors collaborated to develop the National Action Plan.
• The Government of Canada provided funding to the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) to support their participation as a contributing partner in the development of the National Action Plan.
• The Government continues to engage with NWAC in relation to the implementation of the National Action Plan.