Canada promises to fund shelters for Inuit women

Indigenous women and children from Canada’s far north face violence at a rate 14 times greater than do other women in Canada, notes the federal government. And most do not have a safe place to shelter. So, the government has promised funding for the construction and operation of five new shelters in the north and in urban centres. 

Just how much funding it will provide is not clear. The government says the funding will be part of the $724.1 million dedicated to a Violence Prevention Strategy that was announced 2020 to support new shelters and transition housing for Indigenous and Métis people across the country. 

Statistics show that people living in Canada’s northern Inuit communities experience the highest rate of violences in the country. More than 70 per cent of them have no access to an emergency shelter.

Iqaluit is one of only a few northern communities that have an emergency shelter. (iStock)

The pandemic has magnified problems

The government adds that the pandemic has made the situation worse and that some Inuit women are now more concerned about domestic violence than they are about the virus. In recognition of the problem of increased domestic violence across the country, the government has allocated $100 million to women’s shelters, sexual assault centres and organizations that provide support to people experiencing gender-based violence. Of that, $10 million helps a network of 46 emergency shelters serving First Nations communities in the provinces and the northern territory of Yukon.

At their 2020 meeting, Pauktuutit Inuit Women, a non-profit that represents Inuit women in Canada, called for the construction of five new emergency shelters dedicated to Inuit needs. It seeks to build one in each of the four northern regions where they live and one in Ottawa, which has the largest population of Inuit living in urban centres. The organization estimates it will cost about $20 million to build the five shelters. The final cost will be determined only after applications are received and approved. The government promises to help determine the locations and define the details of the projects. 

The Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennet applauded the funding announcement. “The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified systemic racism and has deepened  longstanding inequalities. It has exacerbated threats to the safety of Indigenous women, girls, and Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ people. Today’s announcement will help those who have no safe place to stay. I want to thank Pauktuutit for their leadership in ensuring the safety of Inuit women and girls, no matter where they live.”