Alberta has joined the federal government and other provinces and territories in officially endorsing the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. The national action plan is a 10-year strategy to end gender-based violence focused on support and prevention that lays the groundwork for further development of prevention-based initiatives.

In a press release, the government said “Alberta is leading, or is heavily involved in various initiatives to combat gender-based violence, including economic support for gender-based violence survivors and their families.” This includes actions like:

  • Announcing $1 million in funding for a one-year pilot project that will train more healthcare providers in rural areas to perform sexual assault forensic exams.

  • Directing almost $900,000 to the VOICE program to train athletes as student mentors and expand the program to reach additional schools, communities and campus organizations.

  • Providing domestic violence prevention funding of $400,000 to Ruth’s House, a cultural-specific community agency that serves survivors, and $200,000 to Sagesse to focus on culturally sensitive program delivery to address domestic and sexual violence.

Minister of Culture Jason Luan explained programs like this hope to engage men and boys as allies in preventing and ending gender-based violence through educational programs, as well as creating a strong network of support for women that men can also be a part of.

“Every one of us has a role to play and I am proud of the action our government is taking, not only in supporting survivors but engaging men and boys to be champions in ending gender-based violence. The National Action Plan lays the groundwork for further work on these issues,” he said.

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