Sask. receives $20.3M in federal money over four years to address gender-based violence

The federal government is giving Saskatchewan $20.3 million over four years to address gender-based violence in the province through a national action plan.

"This isn't just about a physical act. It's about financial, emotional toll — and the mental toll that the survivors carry for the rest of their lives. It's about how we bring men and boys in the conversation to break the generational cycle of violence," Marci Ien, federal minister for women and gender equality and youth, announced Tuesday.

"A problem as complex as this requires a multi-pronged approach... We know the domino effects. It's never about just one person."

The province announced last year it would endorse the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. The plan focuses on supporting victims and survivors, increasing prevention, making the justice system more responsive, implementing Indigenous-led approaches and reaching underserved and at-risk populations.

"We are hopeful to bring an end to gender-based violence, removing the barrier to achieve true and lasting gender equality. That's the goal. We will build a safer Canada and I am pleased we are starting here on the Prairies and in Saskatchewan."

Ien said similar agreements are in the works with other provinces and that Mantioba is close to finalizing one.

She said the funding will bring education and awareness to shape how gender-based violence is talked about in society, as 11 million people in Canada have experienced intimate partner violence at least once by the age of 15.

Laura Ross, Saskatchewan's minister responsible for the status of women office, said the province is proud to be one of the first to announce an agreement with the federal government.

Seventy per cent of the funding "will go toward education, awareness and intervention to stop violence before it occurs," Ross said, noting the province has been developing a strategy about the implementation.

This year, Ross said, Saskatchewan invested $27.5 million in programs and services to extend support and provide safe spaces and the new funding would enhance and expand those services.

She said it will also expand intervention programs, target human trafficking and increase Indigenous-led approaches. To further the access, Ross said, the campaign is provided in English, French, Cree and Dene.

This year, a majority of the funding will be directed to community organizations, Ross said. Starting this fall, frontline organizations can apply with proposals to seek the funding. 

"For Saskatchewan, prevention is key," she said. We need to be in front of the problem and not chasing it."

Jo-Anne Dusel, executive director of the Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services of Saskatchewan, said she is pleased with the emphasis on prevention. 

"It will take time, but their actions are reflecting the fact that the governments are looking at recommendations put out by thousands of advocates across the country, including here in Saskatchewan," she said.

Dusel said she is seeking more details around the proposal. She said the challenges in Saskatchewan include its large size and the uneven access to services in rural versus urban areas.

There is a scarcity of shelters and counselling services, in addition to transportation challenges. She said the numbers around gender-based violence are highly underreported and only offer the tip of the iceberg.

"Indigenous communities are still feeling the impacts of colonization, so focusing on Indigenous-led approaches in Saskatchewan would be very important. We do have consistently the highest rates of police-reported intimate partner violence in the country, double the national average," she said.

"Violence against women is a learnt behaviour but it is a taught behaviour. If we truly want to address, prevent and eliminate gender-based violence, we need to provide education in an age-appropriate way in the school system."