Jointly develop a Yukon strategy to implement the National Action Plan to end Gender Based Violence in equal partnership with Yukon’s equity seeking organizations.

What is the challenge?

On November 9th, 2022, the Government of Canada Announced the National Action Plan to End Gender Based Violence. This plan is the result of the tireless advocacy on the part of women’s organizations across Canada. The plan’s implementation will be made possible with millions of dollars being transferred to the provinces and territories for implementation.

In early 2021, The Yukon Status of Women Council was one of 32 Canadian gender-based violence (GBV) experts engaged to inform the federal National Action Plan on Violence Against Women and Gender-Based Violence (NAP). This engagement resulted in a final report including 646 recommendations, organized into 4 themes that informed the actual National Action Plan that was released by the Government of Canada Nov 9, 2022.

The five pillars of the National Action Plan are:

  • Support for victims, survivors and their families;
  • Prevention;
  • Responsive justice system;
  • Implementing Indigenous-led approaches; and
  • Social infrastructure and enabling environment.

In the Yukon, the only existing strategy to address elements of gender-based violence is the MMIWG2s+ Strategy (2020). There is currently no Yukon government strategy to end gender-based violence in the territory as a whole, and there are no actions listed in the LGBTQ2S+ Action Plan. As we head into 2023, equity seeking organizations have seen very little if no implementation of either of these strategies.

 

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN:

With hundreds of millions of dollars being distributed to the provinces and territories, we want to see a commitment from Yukon government to:

  • Develop a joint governing body to where Yukon government, Yukon First Nations, and Yukon Equity seeking organizations work together as equal partners to adapt the 646 recommendations into a Yukon strategy to end gender-based violence.
  • Implement strong shared transparency and accountability mechanisms for this strategy.
  • Implement a reporting framework – not only for GBV orgs to Yukon government but for Yukon government to the public on progress on each item.
  • Prioritize the implementation of immediate, long term and substantial core funding agreements to Dawson Shelter Society, Queer Yukon, Les EssentiElles, Liard Aboriginal Women’s Centre, Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre, Whitehorse Aboriginal Women’s Circle, Yukon Aboriginal Women’s Council, Yukon Women in Trades and Technology, Yukon Women’s Transition Home, Yukon Status of Women Council.
  • Ensure that the Yukon strategy includes specific measures for the 2SLGBTQQIA community.

WHAT CAN YOU DO:

  • Donate to a local equity seeking organization
  • Contact the Minister Responsible for the Women and Gender Equity Directorate and the Premier’s Office to make this request.

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