Question Period Note: Supporting Women’s Shelters, Indigenous Shelters, Sexual Assault Centres, Women’s Organizations and Other Organizations Providing Gender-Based Violence Supports and Services across Canada during COVID-19

What is the Government doing to support women’s shelters, Indigenous shelters off-reserve, sexual assault centres, women’s organizations and other organizations providing gender-based violence supports and services during the COVID-19 pandemic?

• The government moved swiftly to ensure those facing gender-based violence have a safe place to turn during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since April 2020, approximately $100 million in emergency funding went to over 1,200 organizations, including women’s shelters, sexual assault centres, and other organizations providing critical supports and services to those experiencing gender-based violence. Because of this funding, more than 1.3 million women and children experiencing violence had a place to go and access to supports.
• Budget 2021 committed a further $200 million over two years to support gender-based violence organizations.
• This funding is ensuring the continuation of critical and often life-saving services for those in need, throughout and beyond and the pandemic.

2020 COVID-19 Funding for Shelters and Sexual Assault Centres
• From the start, Canada’s COVID-19 response measures have been informed by a feminist and intersectional analysis, to ensure that our approach provides support to those who need it most.
• This includes supporting women and children experiencing violence.
• As part of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, the Government of Canada, through WAGE, distributed $90M to shelters, sexual assault centres and organizations providing critical GBV supports to women and children experiencing violence. Due to high demand, WAGE leveraged an additional $9.5M in existing program funding, bringing the total funding to $99.5M.
• The funding was distributed as follows:
o $36.24 million was provided to Women’s Shelters Canada (WSC) to redistribute to women’s shelters, including Indigenous Off-Reserve shelters across the country (outside of Quebec);
o $40.83 million to the Canadian Women’s Foundation (CWF) to redistribute to sexual assault centres, women’s organizations, and other organizations providing supports and services to those experiencing GBV (outside of Quebec), with $7.2M coming from WAGE’s G&C’s program budget;
o $17.46 million to the Province of Quebec to redistribute to women’s shelters and organizations that support victims of sexual and domestic violence across the province, with $2.3M coming from WAGE’s G&C’s program budget; and
o $5 million is supporting the mobilization of grassroots and community organizations to further coordinate and support their important work.
• To date, funding has been provided to over 1,200 organizations, including women’s shelters, sexual assault centres, and other organizations providing services and supports to those experiencing gender-based violence across the country. Since April 2020, more than 1.3 million women and children had a place to turn because of this funding.

Budget 2021 Funding for GBV Organizations:
• Budget 2021 committed $601.3 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, to advance towards the development of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. From this funding, WAGE will be distributing nearly $200M over two years, starting in 2021-22, to enhance the capacity and responsiveness of GBV organizations that provide critical and often life-saving services and supports for women, girls, LGBTQ2 people, and gender non-binary people experiencing violence.
• On August 6, 2021, the Minister announced agreements with WSC, CWF and with the Government of Quebec to swiftly deliver these much-needed funds across the country. Funds are being disbursed to frontline organizations as they continue to support those who need it most and pivot to a post-pandemic environment.
• The funding is being distributed as follows:
o $81.5 million to WSC to redistribute to women’s shelters across the country (outside of Quebec);
o $70.6 million to CWF to redistribute to sexual assault centres, women’s organizations, and other organizations providing supports and services to those experiencing GBV (outside of Quebec); and
o $44.4 million for the Government of Québec to redistribute to women’s shelters and organizations that support victims of sexual and domestic violence across the province.
 

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