Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today at noon we officially launched Family Violence Week with the event planned by the Coalition Against Family Violence at the Great Hall. This year’s theme is Honouring Resistance.
Family Violence Week was first sponsored in 1999 to bring the issues of family violence into the public arena, provide information on social service organizations that could provide help, and call attention to the toll that family violence takes on its victims and our society. We have come a long way since then, and I’d like to highlight phase 2 of the NWT Action on Family Violence, which is the result of much collaboration and commitment on the part of all partners in the coalition.
Our efforts have resulted in greater public awareness of the violence that goes on behind closed doors of a family home; legislation for emergency protection orders; the signing of a victim services protocol with the RCMP; the establishment of new victim referral services in Aklavik, Paulatuk, Behchoko, Gameti and Whati, in addition to existing services in Fort Good Hope, Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith and Inuvik; $340,000 for enhanced funding for social services and $450,000 for creating new services in regions where there is no family violence shelter; supporting the Children Who Witness Abuse Program at the YWCA; and enhancing existing services through the development of interagency family violence protocols, including the Yellowknife Interagency Family Violence Protocol, which was officially announced earlier today.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to building on its past successes, continuing the important work of preventing family violence, resisting violence and helping those who need our support to overcome the aftermath of family violence. I want to thank the individuals and organizations in the NWT who work day in and day out throughout the year with men, women and children in family violence situations to provide them with the support and assistance they need.
Finally, I wish to acknowledge the Coalition Against Family Violence and the Status of Women Council of the NWT for spearheading the planning of activities for Family Violence Week over the past several years.
