$2M funding increase for Manitoba's family violence support prevention programs announced

Women's resource centres will get a $2 million boost from the Manitoba government to help prevent family violence, bringing the total budget to $4.1 million in 2023.

It's the first time funding for family violence prevention programs has increased since 2013 and the money will be distributed to nine different centres across the province.

"Gender-based violence is a pervasive and complex issue that impacts the emotional, physical, social, and economic health of survivors and their families," Families Minister Rochelle Squires said in a news release announcing the funding on Wednesday, which was International Women's Day.

"These centres provide vital wrap-around services that support each woman who has experienced gender-based violence to heal, regain independence and break the cycle of violence."

Manitoba had the second-highest provincial rate of police-reported family violence in the country, according to a Statistics Canada report from 2019.Saskatchewan had the highest rate.

The funding will provide operational costs and programming to assist domestic and gender-based violence survivors at centres such as Winnipeg'sNorth End Women's Centre.

"We are extremely grateful for this funding increase to support women and gender diverse folks," Cynthia Drebot, the executive director of the North End Women's Centre,told CBC in an email.

Drebot believes this increase "will work towards ensuring that we are able to provide support and resources for healing."

The Interlake Women's Resource Centre in Gimliwill also receive funding.

"The need for counselling services continues to increase and this funding will help to enhance staffing capacity so that we may provide support to more women and children," said Jennifer Campbell Moore, director and women's counsellor, Interlake Women's Resource Centre.

The funding will go to the following centres in Winnipeg:Fort Garry Women's Resource Centre;North End Women's Centre;Pluri-elles (Manitoba); andWest Central Women's Resource Centre. It will also go to:Interlake Women's Resource Centre Inc., in Gimli;Lakeshore Family Resource Centre, in Ashern;Swan Valley Crisis Centre, in Swan River;Western Manitoba Women's Regional Resource Centre, in Brandon; andWomen's Safe Haven/Resource Service, in Flin Flon.

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