Supporting Indigenous communities to advance gender equality

January 21, 2022 – Ottawa, ON – Women and Gender Equality Canada Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and all LGBTQQIA+ Indigenous people have the right to be safe and have every opportunity to fully participate in the economic, social, and cultural life. The Government of Canada continues to support Indigenous communities to advance reconciliation and achieve equity for all Indigenous peoples. Today, the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, announced over $14 million to fund 34 projects that will support Indigenous women by improving economic participation, increasing leadership in various sectors, and preventing and eliminating gender-based violence. While enhancing reconciliation and distinction-based approaches for Indigenous women and girls, these projects will address the intersectional barriers to equality that many communities face. Minister Ien also met with two community organizations fostering learning and empowering Indigenous people.

• Trent University’s First Peoples House of Learning discussed their project to create an Indigenous women-led interactive and experiential training model. The project will also raise awareness of the many ways in which unconscious bias makes Indigenous women more vulnerable to gender-based violence. The organization received over $491,000 in funding.
• The National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association discussed capacity building for its network of Aboriginal Financial Institutions (AFIs). The network will advance gender equality and address barriers to entrepreneurship for Indigenous women by offering training. It will also launch a national campaign to increase the representation of many Indigenous women entrepreneurs and raise awareness of the barriers they face. The organization received $560,000 in funding.