Last month, on November 9, Federal, Provincial, and Territorial (FPT) Ministers responsible for the Status of Women, with the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth and federal co-chair, joined Nova Scotia’s Minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women Act, the Honourable Karla MacFarlane, to announce the endorsement of a ten-year National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.

The plan calls for $540 million in spending over the next five years with the money divided between the provinces. British Columbia and other provinces and territories are working out details of how they will implement the plan.

“I think having a national action plan on gender-based violence is a momentous time in our history,” said Ninu Kang, EVA BC’s executive director. 

“Once we have a good clear provincial plan in place we can say ‘this is what we need the money for,’ and hopefully then the federal monies will be transferred to the provinces to address those needs.”

One priority for BC is to improve outreach into communities where victims of gender-based violence may face barriers in coming forward and finding support.

The federal plan includes five pillars: support for victims and families, a responsive justice system, Indigenous-led approaches and social infrastructure and “enabling” environment,” to improve wraparound services. See the federal plan here.