Nearly $900,000 to Improve Support for First Nations Women Who Have Survived Violence

Press Release

Québec City, February 10, 2025 — The ministre des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie et ministre responsable de la Condition féminine, Martine Biron, has announced an investment of $882,979 over three years to the Quebec First Nations Women’s Space (QFNWS) to support the implementation of psychosocial and referral services for First Nations women who have experienced domestic, family, and sexual violence.

Established thanks to the leadership of Quebec Native Women, the project will involve creating a 24/7 helpline. It will provide Indigenous women who are in precarious situations or who have experienced violence with support in French and English, as well as several Indigenous languages.

The financial aid will also be used to develop and offer a service to refer women to culturally relevant psychosocial, legal, and other resources.

Quotes (translated from French)

“Combating violence against women is a priority for the gouvernement du Québec. Establishing this hotline will further our efforts to offer services tailored to the needs of Indigenous women. I applaud the initiative of the Quebec First Nations Women’s Space.”

Martine Biron, ministre des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie et ministre responsable de la Condition féminine

“Our government is proud to support culturally appropriate initiatives developed by and for Indigenous people. It’s everyone’s business to counter all types of violence Indigenous women and girls experience. Let’s continue to fight this scourge.”

Ian Lafrenière, ministre responsable des Relations avec les Premières Nations et les Inuit

“We are deeply grateful for this grant. Thanks to this funding, we will be able to create a safe space where women can find a listening ear, as well as the support and resources they need to rebuild their lives.”

Marjolaine Étienne, President, Quebec Native Women

Highlights

⦁ Quebec Native Women, the founder of the QFNWS, has been fighting violence in all its forms for 50 years. This initiative reinforces its mission to defend women’s rights and support their work towards a future where they can live safely and with

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dignity.

⦁ Indigenous women are at higher risk of being subjected to domestic violence and experience more serious forms of violence that non-Indigenous women. They are also more likely to be victims of intimate partner homicide.

⦁ The Quebec First Nations Women’s Space was created to fill a gap in the services available to First Nations women in Québec who experience sexual, domestic, and family violence.

⦁ The NPO’s mission is to offer First Nations women who have experienced violence a virtual reception, referral, listening, and legal/psychosocial aid service.

⦁ The funded project is in line with the “Provide funding for psychosocial support initiatives for Indigenous women in Québec who are victims of domestic, family, and/or sexual violence” measure of the April 30, 2024, update to the Integrated Government Strategy to Counteract Sexual and Domestic Violence and to Rebuild Trust 2022–2027.

Related link:

To find out more about the gouvernement du Québec’s actions to counter sexual and domestic violence and support survivors, please see the Integrated Government Strategy to Counteract Sexual and Domestic Violence and to Rebuild Trust 2022–2027.

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Information
Media Relations
Ministère des Relations internationales
et de la Francophonie
medias@mri.gouv.qc.ca

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