The Nova Scotia government announced $5.1 million will be distributed to community-based organizations that work to address gender-based violence.
The money comes from the 10-year National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and will go towards projects to:
- enhance prevention efforts
- increase supports for victims and survivors
- ensure Nova Scotians can access culturally appropriate services
Nova Scotia declared intimate partner violence an epidemic last September. Since that time, seven women and one man were killed in the province as a result of intimate partner violence.
“To address an issue as widespread and deeply entrenched as gender-based violence, we need an all-of-society approach – one that is responsive to the unique needs of our communities,” said Leah Martin, minister responsible for the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women, in a news release Thursday. “This funding helps support our partners and advances their work, while ensuring Nova Scotians continue to have access to important resources and support in their communities.”
The government says 26 projects will receive multi-year funding to ensure long-term impact. Projects that receive funding from the National Action Play fall under one of five pillars: support for victims, survivors and their families; prevention; responsive justice system; implementing Indigenous-led approaches; social infrastructure and enabling environment.
“This funding is allowing GEO Nova Scotia and our partners across the province to distribute hundreds of smartphones and phone plans to women leaving situations of violence, providing them with a lifeline to emergency care, critical support and independence,” said Matt Spurway, executive director of Getting Everyone Online Nova Scotia, in the news release.
According to the province, $3.1 million was spent in 2024 to support 16 projects.
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