B.C. Supporting Survivors, Breaking The Cycle Of Gender-Based Violence

B.C. is ramping up safety and support for survivors of gender-based violence with a new three-year action plan.

“We have a great deal of work underway in B.C. to help address the systemic issue of gender-based violence,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Finance.

“Today, we move forward with our next steps, in alignment with our partners and community service providers, in supporting survivors and making our communities safer.”

The plan, released yesterday, reports on work underway across government and actions that will be coming next year and beyond.

The actions include boosting programming and supports for survivors, strengthening the government's response to the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and ramping up prevention and awareness campaigns.

The federal government is committing nearly $62 million in new investments over four years for the plan under a new bilateral agreement to end gender-based violence, announced Friday.

The funding will help reduce critical wait lists, build capacity for community-based services, and address gaps for underserved communities. More than half of new funding will be invested in Indigenous-led initiatives to be announced in the coming months.

The new funding will contribute to investments already underway in B.C., including: $1.2 billion over 10 years to create safe spaces and housing for women and children leaving violence, expanded cell service to make travel safer, 75 new sexual assault programs, including five sexual assault centres, new 24/7 crisis lines, new policing standards; and stronger victim supports and other programming supported by more than $60 million from the Province each year for gender-based violence supports and services.

To see the full release, visit Government of British Columbia.