On International Women’s Day, the Nova Scotia government announced that it will provide $8 million to organizations supporting women who experience gender-based violence. The additional funding is intended to help these organizations address the increasing demand for their services and rising operating costs.
The Transition House Association of Nova Scotia will receive $4 million to support programs that focus on women and their families. In addition, nine transition houses and Naomi Society will each receive a one-time increase of $100,000 to their operational budgets, as well as $100,000 each to provide more programming for men and boys, victims of human trafficking, cultural responsivity, and improve second-stage housing.
Women’s Centre Connect will receive $1 million to support community-based programs aimed at preventing gender-based violence and improving access to supports and resources. The Nova Scotia Native Women’s Association and Jane Paul Indigenous Resource Centre will receive $250,000 to help with increased operating costs and provide localized programming. Finally, nine women’s centres and Alice House will each receive $75,000 to help with rising operational costs.
The funding announcement comes after Nova Scotia endorsed Canada’s first National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, which aligns with the province’s commitment to preventing gender-based violence through its Standing Together initiative.
“Transition houses, women’s centres, and other organizations provide critical support services to women experiencing gender-based violence and their children,” said Karla MacFarlane, Minister responsible for the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women. “With additional funding, we are helping ensure these organizations are there to provide the best support to women in need.”
Shelley Curtis-Thompson, Executive Director of Pictou County Women’s Resource and Sexual Assault Centre, welcomed the news, saying that women’s centres across the province work tirelessly to support women and adolescent girls through early intervention, prevention services, and public education.
According to statistics from 2022, 79% of the victims in 1,666 domestic violence assaults reported to police were women.
Nova Scotia has a range of women-serving organizations committed to the safety, well-being, and prosperity of women in the province. The Transition House Association of Nova Scotia and Women’s Centres Connect are umbrella membership associations that provide leadership and support to several transition houses and women’s centres.
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